Circus Acts
by Alitote
Summary: The Circus blows into Quantico... but somethings really wrong here...
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

* * *

><p><em>The Big Top floated to the soft grass like paper. IT's weight shifting from one side to the other until it laid on the ground like a rag doll.<em>

_"Honey!" Somone behind me called._

_I turned around to see mommy running to me, smiling and holding out the stuffed Circus Rabbit I'd been looking for._

_"Here you are dear, I found it when Daddy and I moved the trunk!" She smiled._

_I squealed in delight, hugging the Rabbit by the neck tightly. His little black top hat sat firmly against my nose, pressing into it._

_I held it out infront of me, checking to make sure the red and yellow coat was straight, the cane was still stiched to his paw, and his silk bow tie was straight._

_After all, the Ringleader of any Circus should always look like, well... a leader!_


	2. Persuading and Acting

"Come on Em!" Garcia whined, waving the flyer around.

"No." Emily Prentiss shrugged, "I'm not interested."

"Please!"

"Ask Morgan, I'm sure he'd love to." Prentiss nodded her head towards the FBI agent who breezed in the door. He perked his head up when he heard his name.

"Love to what?" He asked.

"Technical Analyst, Penelope Garcia, wants to take you to your rightful place Morgan, the Circus." Prentiss grinned, leaning her head to one side as she talked.

"My rightful place?" Morgan jerked, "What about our very own one man Circus act?" He motioned towards Reid, who came running through the door.

"Whats going on?" Reid asked, dumping his stuff on the desk.

"Technical Analyst, Penelope Garcia-"

"Oh dont start that again!" Garcia crowed, swatting Prentiss with the flyer, "Whats with the formalities anyway?"

"Nothing really." Prentiss shrugged before turning to Reid again, "Garcia wants to take us to the Circus."

"Really?" Reid said, "Doesn't seem like a very FBI thing to do."

"Exactly!" Garcia cried, "We've all gotten so boring!" She threw her hands up into the air, realeasing the flyer as she did so, "I was on the phone with Kevin last night and we were talking-"

"So that's it!" Morgan laughed.

"What?" Garcia, Prentiss, and Reid asked.

"She's trying to outdo her boyfriend! What'd he do that was so amazing?" Morgan smiled.

"Does it matter?" Garcia said, dancing around the question, "Anyway, we dont do anything fun! Remember that one time we went to a bar and Morgan," She pointed at the dark man, "You were dancing with all those girls! And JJ was playing darts with all those hot and hunky men, and the rest of us enjoyed drinks! And, and Reid," She pointed to the young doctor, "You played waht, 20 questions or something with those other nerds?"

Reid sat, his pointer fingers to his lips in thought,"Yeah," he leaned forward in his chair, "Wasn't that right before I got kidnapped and beaten and drugged?"

Everyone stood around him and Garcia howling with laughter!

"That right Pretty Boy! Maybe doing stuff with you guys is just a bad omen or something!" Morgan belted out laughing.

"You mean bad luck." Reid corrected.

"Whatever!"

Garcia looked down, and sniffled. Then she wiped her eyes.

"Aww Baby Girl!" Morgan turned serious, wrapping his arms around her, "I didn't mean it that way."

"Yes you did." Garcia whimpered.

"Im sorry Pen." Emily shot up.

"Yeah, we'll go with you! We'll even get the others in on it!" Reid said from his desk, taking and opening the first of the many files on his desk.

"Great!" Penelope Garcia shot up, face bright, happy, and alive! She literally skipped out of the room, whisteling the whole way. But she popped her head around the door a second later.

"Thanks for helping Reid! I couldn't have persuaded them without your great acting!" she giggled.

Prentiss and Morgan turned to the young profiler, murder written across their faces.

"What?" Reid shrugged.

"You just- you!" Prentiss stamped her foot. Morgan just sighed and shook his head angrily.

"what?" Reid asked again, "I wanna go to the Circus too."


	3. The Circus of Dreams

"The Circus huh?" Rossi grunted, looking over the flyer JJ gave him.

"Garcia and Reid managed to rope Morgan and Prentiss into it and Hotch is thinking about taking Jack."

"Would you take enry then?" Rossi asked, setting the flyer on his desk.

"And Will."

"Hmm... Tell the others I'll think about it. But Im leaning towards yes." Rossi decided.

He watched JJ leave the room, then pulled the flyer infront of his face again.

"The Circus of Dreams huh?" he grinned, "Weird name."

* * *

><p>Two nights later the BAU teamed, minus Hotch and JJ who traveled in their family cars with their families, Haley included, piled into a black SUV.<p>

Garcia was literally vibrating with excietment, Reid alongside her.

"I cant believe we're actually going to a Circus Reid! A real live Circus! I've only seen them in movies! This is gonna be unforgettable!" Garcia cried.

"I know! I cant believe our luck!" Reid vibrated, his eyes bright.

"What do you think there's gonna be?" Garcia gasped, " Clowns? Fire Eaters? Sword Swallowers? Strong men?"

"And maybe a tightrope walker, and a Fortune Teller, and a Knife Thrower, and animals!" Reid continued the list.

"And maybe there'll even be-"

"Rossi doesn't it seem like we have two children in the back seat not two adult profilers?" Morgan broke his silence.

"It does doesn't it?" Rossi smiled, "So we're gonna let you play daddy to them when it's time to leave."

"Only if you play grandpa." Morgan grinned at Rossi when the old man rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>The Circus of Dreams was considerably the size of any regular circus.<p>

It had a Big Top tent in the smack middle, a tall fence enclosing the area, and booths full of games, food, merchandise, and attractions along the perimeter and dotted here and there.

The performers danced along the pathways, the tall men on stilts handing out free cotton candy and clowns walking around juggling and playing harmless pranks on the people walking by.

"Look Daddy!" Jack squealed when he saw the Fire Breather blow a gigantic plume of yellow flames into the air.

"Yeah Jack. That's called a Fire Breather." Hotch turned to the boy in his arms.

"He knows what it is Jack." Haley smiled.

Hotch just shrugged.

They walked through, smiling everytime Jack squealed in surprise at everything the Circus people did.

Garcia ran around the area with Reid in tow, pulling him to the many games that they played in.

Morgan sauntered around with Prentiss and Rossi, laughing at the clowns as they played tricks and pranks on unsuspecting patrons.

Finally a trio of drummers marchd down the the main path leading from the entrance of the tent to the gate. Leading them was a tall man in a black tailcoat, black trousers with red suspenders, a small black bow tie that had several silver chains that had many circus themed ornaments at the end, and a white mask. The mask had a black diamond under the right eye, and a red tear drop under the other. The masks smile curved up, the ends pointing straight up to the two painted marks that were the only color on the mask.

"Ladies and Gentelman!" The masked man cried, "Children of all ages!"

He waved his black cane around, gathering a circle of people around him.

"It is time to start the show!" He cried.

Garcia squealed in excitment, clutching Reid's arm and pulling him away from their game at one of the multi colored booths.

"Garcia calm down!" Reid laughed as he focused on not falling down as she flew through the crowds all convering into the giant Big Top.


	4. The Acts

The Big Top was alot more exciting inside then outside. the yellow and red stripes lining the walls ran down the sides, lights strung across the ceiling making the giant room glow along with the flaming torches mounted to poles every few feet.

The whole team sat along the top row in the stands, Garcia sqeauling as the lights dimmed and the Ring Leader walked to the center ring.

A spotlight snapped on, illuminating him as he held his arms out toward the audience.

"Ladies and Gentelman! Boys and Girls! Welcome to the Circus of Dreams. Where your darkest ones are realized and your sweetest ones brought to life! Here we've travelled and collected acts and miracles from all over the world. Please join me in welcoming the first of the many in this vivid collection of wonder, the youngest member of our troop today, Ms. Spider!"

The man in charge of the spotlight threw the light and the audience gasped and then screamed when they saw a woman hanging from the ceiling by her hands and feet! She smiled and let go, plunging to the ground below!

The audience screamed, some fainted, and the Ring Leader laughed.

The woman threw her hand up and grabbed at thin air.

Then thin air sparkled in the light!

Ms. Spider held onto a next to invisible string, dangling from the floor below by atleast twenty feet. She reached out and grabbed more strings from thin air, wrapping each around her finger. Then she wrapped more around the other hand's fingers and then swung herself up into the air, twisting the strings together so you could see them. she somersaulted in the air a few more times, twisting string after string and then she sat down on a small knot she'd made, linking the two ropes of string together. She smiled prettily, showing glittering white teeth, before climbing one rope and leaping off into more string. She completed maybe eight knots before lunging from on to the other, pulling them all together into a middle knot. Then she flipped and twisted her body through them, dragging more string threw.

She'd completed a spiderweb above the entire floor. The top of the tent was now obstructed from view because of the giant, glittering, silver web.

The audience screamed in appluase, shouting for an enchore! She hooked her feet across the middle knot and hung upside down where she proceeded to bow to her audience. Then she waved and climbed to the top of the web.

She did not reappear.

"Wonderful Spider!" The Ring Leader shouted, "Now if I'll divert the audiences attention to the Highwire, our very own little Mr. and Mrs. Drahtseil will dazzle you with their own gifts."

A man and woman stood on opposite ends of the rope tied to the two platforms fifty or so feet up, and when the Spotlights turned on them and a waltz began to play from unseen speakers. They marched out onto it, meeting in the middle. They reached their left hands out to the others faces, then joined both hands and tilted to far to the right!

They plunged, but no one screamed, since they swung all the way around the rope. The man had hooked his feet over as he'd gone down and now sat on the rope as the woman hung from his hands below.

The audience clapped politely, and the woman swung side to side, carrying more and more momentum until she was swinging over the rope. Letting go of her husband at the last moment and flying above the rope and landing on her feet. She curtsied to the audience before helping her husband up and then the two joined together, like they were about to dance. They held hands and stood on their on their left feet, throwing the rights into the air and began spinning around, the man leading. He spun faster and faster, forcing the woman out into the open air, clutching his hands as she went round and round. Then he began to bend his arms, bringing her closer in before pecking her on the lips and throwing her above him as the music ended, it was her flying up in the still, silent air. The man stood calmly, not bothering to look up, only moving to hold his hands out into the open air, catching her at the last second of her decent. she sat in his arms, waving down below, blowing kisses before he carried her to the platform and the spotlight dimmed while the regular lights went up.

Garcia was ecstatic next to Reid. There was popcorn in his hair from the times she'd screamed in surprise and popcorn had flown up in a puff, landing everywhere around her. Reid spent the few seconds he had picking the kernals and buttery popcorn out of his hair before a trumpet sounded and a tiny police car speeded around the center ring.

"Ooh!" Garcia awed, "These must be the clowns!"

And it was. when the car crashed into a wall a tall thin clown got out and helped pull the short fat one dressed in a sundress out from the other side. Then they both helped the fattest, shortest one dressed in a sailor suit out. Then the two fat ones chased the thin one around, throwing whatever they could find in the car trunk while the car steamed and smoked, making honking noises from the engine. The audience laughed, harder and harder with each gag. The clowns went all out for their act. they sprayed eachother, they hit eacother, and when the man clown tried to make up with his "wife" by kissing her, she threw a cream pie in his face. The force threw him backward and he bowled over the third clown.

Reid and Garcia leaned into eachother laughing, knocking heads and laughing some more at their own pain. The Hotchners bent over laughing, and the rest of the team held their sides as they pointed and laughed along with the rest of the audience.

The clowns ended their act with all three tripping into the car, through the doors. The doors slammed shut and the car drove out through the lip of the tent and the Ring master walked back into the ring, clapping.

"Thank you ladies and gentelmen, and now we wish to present you all with a special treat: our very own witch!" on the word 'witch' the lights dimmed and the spotlight illuminated an old and crumpled woman all in the same moment. She waved breifly, taking a fatal step over the edge and flying down through the air. She landed hard on the ground, but she didn't fall, didn't crumple to the floor.

Instead she walked calmly over to the Ringmaster, taking his hands and removing the black cane. She pointed it at the ceiling of the tent where the web still hugged the tent. The tent quivered feircly, and then exploded, releasing thousands of crows and bats and ravens! They all flew to the ring, not one straying to the crowds who screamed.

The woman touched the end of the cane to the ground, and leaned forward on it. Spinning around and looking each bird in the eye. Then the spotlight dimmed, revealing the weird glowing patterns and symbols painted onto the walls of the tent.

The sihlouette of the woman shook and contorted as she moved, putting something on.

It was a cloak, and it glowed the same eerie green as the patterns on the walls.

The spotlight snapped back on, and in one old and wrinkled arm sat a vulture. She threw her arm out, throwing it out into the air.

"Let Mortem pick the one." She croaked.

Everyone looked around quizically at eachother. No one quite understood until the large vulture landed on a young man's shoulder. He squeaked and leaned in closer to his blonde friend, who clutched his thin arm as he grew stiff. The claws dug into his shoulder, through the magenta sweater vest and white dress shirt.

"Come forward Spencer Reid." the old woman smiled, holding out her hand to him.

Reid slowly got up, wincing everytime the vulture repositioned himself.

"Be brave my Junior G-man." Garcia smiled, masking her unease.


	5. More Questions than Answers

**I'm sorry the stories been so slow (fourth chapter dangit!) but i've been trying to set it up along with about a million other things around here (my cave of awesome-attidue that is).  
>But I promise it's about to get interesting. After all, I just added a vulture landing on Reid! haha :)<strong>

Reid quickly made his way down the steps, climbing over the ring's fence. The dirt and soil crunched silently under his footsteps.

He gulped as he got closer, and made a small noise when the vulture threw itself off his shoulder.

The whole crowd leaned in closer as the light dimmed and the weid symbols reappeared.

"Choose One." The old woman croaked loudly.

Reid looked them over carefully. He didn't recognize a single one. Not from mythology, demonology, the sorcery book he'd clambered through when he was twelve, or the History of the Circus he'd read when he was eight.

"That one." He pointed to the glowing green Cheshire Cat smile with a diamond painted in one corner and a spade in the other. The teeth were all pointed and outlined perfectly.

The woman chuckled next to him, "You picked an interesting one Spencer."

"What do you mean?"

"The mark Reid has just chosen is one passed down from witch to witch over the centuries! It started with the druids and it will continue in the modern world through the likes of me and Spencer here!" She cried to the crowd who "Ooh'd" and "Awe'd" appropriatley.

Reid just stared at the woman and the symbol. 'Eh... sure.' he thought.

The woman leaned in close and pressed something cold into his hand.

"Guard it well Ringmaster."

* * *

><p>The rest of the circus proceeded normaly, fire eaters, trapeze artists, and more clowns. but Reid didn't pay attention to any of it, only remembering to laugh when Garcia prodded his side with her elbow when he didn't laugh.<p>

He mostly sat staring at the pin the witch had pressed into his hand. It was copper with painted gold and the inmprint of a Rabbit Ring Leader on it. The pin on the back was broken, missing the actual needle part and only containing the clasp and hinge from where it had broken off.

"Hey Reid." Garcia poked his side hard, making him crumple to the side over her arm. She smiled, poking him again and grinning wider everytime he reacted.

"What?" He cried finally.

"Time to go."

"Ah. So where to next?"

"Your room."

Reid's eyes went wide.

"Uh, whoops sorry." Garcia blushed, "I meant home. It's getting late and we all have work tommorow."

Reid sighed in relief, "Oh, okay. Hey do you mind if I pop into the restroom real quick though?"

"Not at all. I'll tell them to wait for you. You remember where we parked right?"

"Totally."

* * *

><p>Reid sped past the dirt path, dodging people and performers as they moved in and out of his way.<p>

The tents had painted signs on the tents that were begining to fade.

"Jugglers", "Pin the tail on the Donkey", Restroom", "Vendors".

Reid sped past all these toward the one marked "Witches Tent".

Inside was a cramped little table with two stools sitting under it, surrounded by tons of bookshelves holding books, toys, papers, ornaments, food wrappers, cups of pens, and jewelery boxes.

"Hello?" Reid called, walking in.

No one answered, and it was a small tent.

No one was here.

Reid shrugged. Why should he be so freaked out anyway? It was just a Circus trick. Probably gave something like this to all her particapants. Bet he'd find a billion if he asked Garcia to run a search.

But something about the look in her eyes had creeped him out. Like she was serious about what she'd said.

Reid shrugged. Deciding what he was doing was pointless, he turned to leave.

And promptly ran into the witch.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Uh... um, I wanted to ask you about, uh," Reid struggled to regain his composure, why was he here again?

"The pin?" she asked, walking around him and pulling a stool out.

"Yes." Reid sighed.

"Well, its a special pin Reid. Given only to those who chose the Ringmaster willingly. Something very special is coming for you dear. And when it does it's best to accept it with open arms. Especially if you want to know what happens after."

"Uh... okay?" Reid was even more confused. He shouldn't have come after all.

"Now is not the time or place to answer questions young man." the witch smiled, "Go to your friends. They're waiting in row 7 i believe. Third black SUV. Remember that."

"I will." Reid said, backing quickly out of the tent, thouroghly creeped out.

How had she known where they'd parked? How had she even known _he'd_ forgotten where they'd parked?


	6. Found You

**Hey! I just wanted to answer Online_Geeks review:**

**He remembers everything he's _read!_ If you'll remember, in Tabula Rasa in the flashback he had trouble remembering "That new tech girl's name" (garcia) he even called her gomez :) haha**

**So, i'm pretty sure its possible to forget where he parked (i do it all the time! I even tried unlocking the wrong car once. Everyone was laughing at me since it took me so long to figure it out haha :) )**

**thanks for reviewing though! Shows me people are reading, and thinking, about the story! Much appreciated )**

The ride home was quiet.

Supposedly everyone was too tired to joke around. Reid suspected they were just weirded out. Afterall he'd come running and out of breath, telling Morgan to drive. His only explanation was that the witch from earlier had creeped him out.

"G'night Reid!" Morgan grinned when they dropped him off infront of his apartment, "Dont let the Circus witches get you!"

"Shutup!" Reid called as he ran up the stairs. Morgan laughed and rolled back up the window.

* * *

><p>Reid yawned and stretched after locking the door, walking through the small hallway towards the bedroom he deposited the small pin on the side table in the hall next to the photo of his mom. The pin clinked against the hard wood and remained silent. The rabbit looking on into the black darkness of the living room silently.<p>

Reid flopped onto the bed, spreading his arms and legs wide.

"So tired." he muttered.

_thump thump thump_

"Hello?" Reid sat up, looking out the doorway into the dark hall. He grabbed his gun from the dresser and walked cautiosly into the hallway.

_thump thump thump_

"Hello?" Reid called again. He walked slowly down the hall, checking all the rooms. He finished in the kitchen and had just closed the patio door.

'No one's here.' he thought. He shook his head and took a deep breath, 'Probably the folks upstairs.'

With that thought in mind guarding against what the dark edges of his mind dreamed up to torment him with, Reid snapped on the light and opened the fridge.

"What's for dinner?" He asked himself.

He grabbed the leftover lasagna from the back and stuffed it in the microwave.

Then ate it quickly with a fork before throwing the plastic container into the sink and snapping the light back off. He yawned again. Definently time for bed.

_thump thump thump_

"I hope they stop soon." Reid griped.

* * *

><p>It was really quiet and really dark. Reid had turned off all the lights, besides the master bedroom closet light, and was fast asleep when the clock in the hall chimed 2:00.<p>

Reid groaned and turned over in the bed.]

_Thump thump thump_

Reid muttered something unintelligable in his sleep.

_Thump thump thump_

The bedroom door creaked as it opened slightly.

_thump thump thump_

The rabbit pin in the hall, still sitting on the hall table, stared into the dark living room mournfully. It looked sad somehow. The copper managing to shine in the moonlight like it was on fire.

_Thump thump thump_

The clock finished chiming and remained silent. It silently watched as Reid pulled the covers closer and then watched as they slid away again.

_Thump thump thump_

"heehee."

"Wha-?" Reid mumbled, looking up slightly, still asleep.

_THUMP THUMP THUMP!_

Reid fully opened his eyes to stare into two pale copper ones.

"Found you." they whispered cheerfully.

And then Reid's whole body felt like it'd been lit on fire!

"AHHHHHHH!"

* * *

><p>Out in the dark hall the living room was motionless. Everything sat undisturbed. It no longer seemed like an eerie place.<p>

Maybe that was becuase the mysterious Rabbit pin no longer sat on the hall table?


	7. Pumpkin Puss

Morgan trudged sleepily into the bullpen. He was a half hour late, but he was at that point in time when you half dont care and half hope no one else cares.

Apparantly no one did. Prentiss sat at her computer typing, JJ bustled around placing files where they needed to go, and he could see Hotch and Rossi in there offices so he knew they weren't looking.

Reid wasn't even here yet!

He set his stuff on the desk quietly and sat down, maybe if he acted like he'd been here the whole time, no one would notice.

"Hello my late Chocolate Adonis!" Garcia giggled, announcing it for everyone to hear.

"Well look who decided to show up!" Prentiss smiled, swinging around to face the other two.

"Ahh come on guys! My alarm didn't go off!" Morgan smiled.

"A likely story."

"Besides," Morgan waved toward Boy Genius's desk, "Pretty Boy aint even here yet! Shouldn't we start in on _him_ when he gets here?"

Both Garcia and Prentiss looked at eachother for a silent moment...

"Fine."

* * *

><p>But Reid never did show up. By the end when everyone got up and began putting on coats and walking out the door Prentiss stood by his desk with a screwed up look on her face.<p>

"Whats wrong Em?" Morgan finally asked before he slung his jacket on.

"Why didn't he show up? He's never done that before, in fact he's been here longer than most people some days!"

"Probably slept in. After all, little boys need their sleep." Morgan laughed. Emily smiled but didn't move.

"It's just weird."

* * *

><p>The next morning everyone was back to normal...<p>

Prentiss and Morgan got in on time and Garcia was still twittering around everyone since she was bored inside her own office. Hotch and Rossi hid inside their offices again and JJ was piled under a mountain of files in her office.

But Reid's chair was still empty...

"He doesn't come in by noon and I take his chair!" Morgan called when Prentiss turned to stare.

"He should be here by now. Sleeping in once is one thing, but skipping two whole days?"

"Maybe the Genius didn't set his alarm?" Morgan tried.

"No. There's something going _on_ here." Prentiss got up, walking out and pulling her cellphone to her ear. All her coworkers were on speed dial.

_Riiiing_

"Come on Reid."

_Riiiiing_

"Come on!"

_Riiiiiiing_

"Pick up dangit!"

_Riiiiiiinnn- "Hello, you've reached the voice mail for Spencer Reid. I'm probably at work or out somewhere else, so try me at my cell phone or leave a message and I'll get back to you." BEEP!_

"Uh, yeah, Reid." Prentiss tried to hide the annoyance in her voice, instead projecting it onto her face, "People _do_ notice when you don't show up. Hotch and Rossi are still hiding in their office's so if you hurry they wont notice. And if you pay Morgan off to keep quiet too."

Then she hit the "End" button.

* * *

><p>It was the end of the day and Reid still hadn't shown up.<p>

"Garcia," Prentiss swung her head into the Tech analyst's office.

"Yeah?" Garcia turned away from screens filled with pictures of old comic book heros.

"Do you mind calling Reid? I've already but he might answer now. He didn't show up."

"Sure Pumpkin Puss!" Garcia turned back around and started dialing the number.

"Thanks." Prentiss called, running toward her elevator.

"Pumpkin Puss?" She asked herself as the doors closed.

**I know you guys hate, hate, HATE short chapters but I'm sorry! This is kinda like a filler chapter or something, you know like those 5 minutes in the movies when everything changes and its right before anyone notices?**


	8. New Toy for Lyssa

**Okay, NOW it gets interesting! Haha =^-^=**

It was dark, and cold. Reid could see his breath in the little bit of light reflecting off the cold mirrors. That's all this room was, mirrors! Every wall, the ceiling, the floor too.

He was still in the T-shirt and sweats he'd worn to bed, but they seemed darker. Like they were burned but okay. It was weird and Reid didn't understand.

And that scared him even more...

_THUD!_

"Hello?" Reid called out hoarsely. He'd been screaming for who knows how long but no one had come. He'd finally given up and sat in one of the corners of the room, there were tons! This room didn't have a shape, it was just a bunch of random and awkward corners. Mirrors jutting out one way and then the next. But they all met at one point, enclosing him.

_THUD!_

"HELLO?" Reid cried, louder, "WHO'S OUT THERE? CAN YOU HELP ME? HEY! HELP!" He was on his feet, pounding against the glass.

_"Shh."_ Something very hard, and very cold touched his shoulder.

"AHH!" He turned around to see...

His own reflection. He might have just bumped into it.

Then the pale, white, burned face appeared where his should have been. It was a man, black splotches randomly covering his face and his eyes empty, black, sockets.

Reid's eyes went wide, and he stepped back. Breathing hard because he was sure he was on the verge of a heart attack.

He felt the scream rise in his throat, bypass his teeth, but before it could fly out his mouth a white hand covered in burn scars and tattered bits of clothing shot out and covered his mouth.

A hand floated beneath the disembodied head. It was white and burned too. It closed into a fist, but brought back up it's pointer finger and placed it against the head's lips.

_"Shh."_

Then it sucked itself back into and then out of the mirror, disapearing from Reid's sight with a scream. Reid fell back, not sure of what he'd just seen.

_"Have you come to play with me?"_

"What?" Reid turned around to see a little girl playing in the mirror across the room from him. She looked maybe nine or ten. Maybe twelve if she stood up. She was kneeling infront of a pile of stuffed animals, blocks, random other toys, and books.

She wore a purple and black striped dress. Her dark yellow hair pinned into two small pigtails bursting from either side of her small head. She smiled at him. She was normal. No burn scars, no empty sockets. Nothing. She looked normal.

Reid hesitentaly crawled over to her mirror, stopping just a few inches before it.

"Who are you?" He whispered.

"I'm Lyssa!" The girl giggled. She held up a small rabbit dressed in a tailcoat and bow tie. He had a black top hat sewn into his head. The girl giggled and pressed the toy to her face.

Then she turned to Reid, "What's your name?"

"R-reid."

The girl stiffened up and brought her hand to her mouth, "oh! I remember you! your one of my new toys!"

"What?"

The girl giggled and crawled out of the mirror, her hair and skin becoming burned and pale, her eyes turning to empty sockets as she passed the threshold of the mirror.

"I said, your my new toy!" She grabbed Reids arm and pulled.

"No!" Reid thrust his feet out, hitting them on the neighboring mirrors. He pulled back with everything he had but she was alot stronger.

the girl growled, sneering up the horrific face of hers.

"My toy!" she screamed.

"Ahh!" Reid saw a bony hand on either side of the mirror rise out, and start slowly push his feet to the little girls mirror.

"I've been waiting for a long time." the little girl smiled.

And Spencer Reid was pushed through the mirror.


	9. Heat

BAM! SSA Derek Morgan kicked down the door to Spencer Reid's apartment.

"REID!" He called before crouching low and scrurrying through the apartment, followed by members of the BAU and a few police officers.

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

All the rooms were clear.

Reid wasn't here.

"Dangit Reid!" Derek hit his fist against the bedroom wall.

"Hey," Prentiss said calmly, "Hitting his walls wont make him come back."

"Not funny Prentiss." Derek turned, "We've been looking for three days now! ever since he didn't show up for the fourth day in a row."

"I know." Prentiss stared, "I wasn't trying to be funny."

The rooms were spotlessly cleaned. The only thing upturned was the bed sheets, like he'd slept and then just walked out.

Except there was no footage of him leaving. Not even from the camera's facing the parking lot above his back balcony. He hadn't walked, or climbed, out.

* * *

><p>The BAU room was a frenzy of activity, Hotch had Garcia running down lead after lead on the computer while he and Rossi interviewed Reids neighbors. Morgan and Prentiss kept at work in the BAU room, putting Reid's photo on the whiteboard and writing out a list of possibilities, names of friends and known enemies (the guy on the floor below him didn't like him much), phone numbers he'd called in the last month, theories, most had been crossed out as leads turned to be false when investigated, and lists of places that he'd been known to visit in the last week.<p>

Morgan sat back and groaned, this was harder than he'd thought.

JJ walked in on the phone, talking fast and a strained look on her face.

"Well stop them then! No, NO! Turn the broadcasts _off_! I know its too late but maybe the meds will make her think she'd hallucinated it or something! JUST STOP RUNNING IT!" she screamed before snapping the phone shut.

"What happened?" Morgan asked as Emily pulled a chair out for the media liason.

"One of the people in Spence's building leaked the story that Spence went missing."

"So?"

"FBI agent mysetriously kidnapped? We have no leads? Its been a week?" JJ grited her teeth.

"What was all the talk of meds and hallucinations?"

"Spencer's mom saw it! She had to be tranquilized to keep from hurting herself. The hospital called us to confirm if it was true."

"What'd you say?"

"It was. It sounded like the nurse got scared there. Anyway, I'm trying to pull it off the air." JJ's phone rang again.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Yes sir. I'm sorry sir. We're working on it sir. No sir. Yes sir." Then she hung up quickly.

"Uh...?" Morgan stared.

"His dad. He saw it too. The receptionist saw it and remembered him from when he was at that law firm to question his dad."

"Oh yeah." Morgan said, remembering it too.

"Anyway, he's not happy we've made so little progress in the investigation." JJ stood up, "I _need_ a coffee."

"Poor JJ." Emily sighed, "We're the ones struggling but she's the one getting the heat for it."

"Then lets work a little harder so that heat turns _down_." Morgan said, picking up a list of reports. Maybe a clue lay in there?


	10. I Wanna Go To The Circus

**Hey there! Sorry the last one was so short but it had to be. Anyway, marching band is in full swing so my updates are gonna be a little less than the week before (when i got my account). But that doesn't mean i wont update, it just means these chapters will be sweeter with the longer wait (keep that mind set! It'll work, I promise!). =^-^=**

"REID!" Hotch screamed, breaking down the door. They'd gotten a lead saying Reid had been seen here, auctioned off in a human slave ring.

Plenty of people stood around. The slaves bound with plastic twist ties, the leaders in the organization had there guns drawn.

Reid wasn't here.

They arrested them anyway.

* * *

><p><strong><span>1 month later<span>**

"Reid?" Prentiss walked carefully into the back of the van. Ten college age kids sat on the floor, hands tied and gagged.

No Reid.

Prentiss sighed inwardly and began helping the kids out of the van. Not one even looked like him.

* * *

><p><strong>3 months later<strong>

JJ walked calmly into the ER. She went here every weekend she wasn't on a case. Maybe he was here? They just couldn't identify him maybe.

Then she'd walk up and down every hall on every floor she was allowed where a normal patient would be.

He could be here, unconcious or just unable to tell them who he was.

But he never was.

So she ended up crying the whole drive home.

* * *

><p><strong>1 year later<strong>

The BAU was a little more solem, a little more serious, no longer a happy family. Even Garcia, one to always make things bright and cheery, gave up and spent a little more time in her office. Only going out once every once in a while on a date with Kevin. But even he could tell, she was in mourning.

"Come on Pen. You'll like this movie." Kevin said gently, taking her hand and leading her into the theater. "It's all about computers. Action, no horror. I promise." Taking Penelope to see _Death on the Rail_ had definently been a bad idea. She'd cried into his shoulder, whimpering, "They could've solved it before she got killed! He could have picked up on the pattern! they could've seen!"

So an action movie had been picked. One about Aliens invading a Robot run Earth.

"Fine." Garcia sighed, sitting in the seat and the lights dimmed.

The sneak previews began to roll. A movie about a princess, an animation about a frog and a dog, and then something actually interesting.

"Visit the Circus of Dreams! Coming to Quantico September Seventh!" The announcer said, the ad popping up and showing the Ring Master standing happily infront of the big top surrounded by the other performers.

Garcia leaned forward, focusing on the Ring Master. He seemed... familiar, but different somehow.

But then in a flash, the ad was gone.

And Garcia was left sitting in the theater chair, thinking hard.

"Kevin."

"Yes?" Kevin sat down with the popcorn.

"What's the date?"

"The Eigth."

"And it's September right?"

Kevin laughed. "You've been in that office to long to forget the month. But, Yes."

"I wanna go to the Circus." And with that Garcia got up.

* * *

><p>Tickets were easy to buy. The opening was yesterday so the place had calmed down a little. But there was still alot of people to wade through as they made their way to the big top.<p>

Inside was the same as a year ago. Gray, rusty stands around the tent, torches on poles inbetween every stand, and the giant ring in the smack middle.

"Wow." Kevin grinned. "This place is insane!"

Garcia smiled and sat down next to him in the third row. The lights dimmed and a spotlight was turned onto the Ring Master. Still the same tall, thin man in a white mask and tailcoat.

"Welcome Ladies and Gentelmen," And yet, he seemed different... "Welcome to the Circus of Dreams. Where your darkest ones realized and your sweetest ones brought to life! Here the Circus has travelled the world over and collected different acts from around the world! Please give me a hand in welcoming the first of our amazing acts tonight, Ms. Spider!"

Garcia had already seen the act so she didn't scream, but Kevin jumped in his seat as she plunged to the ground and then applaudded when she saved herself with the threads. They both clapped when she finished.

Garcia kept staring at the Ring Master who stood in the middle of the circle applauding and laughing along with the crowd. Even when everyone else screamed he laughed at the death defying moments.

He was just the same as last time... but was he?

* * *

><p>After the main preformance, Kevin took Garcia around to the booths, winning games and prizes, getting a chocolate covered pretzel to share, and eating a dinner of hot dogs and popcorn at a picnic table.<p>

"Hey baby," Kevin said after awhile of walking around, "I gotta use the john real fast. Stay here, I'll be right back." Garcia nodded and leaned against the picket fence as Kevin ran across the dirt road to the bathroom.

The moment he disapeared a large gang of boys came running through the road. Laughing, shouting, and not paying attention.

So of course they collided straight with Garcia.

"AHH!" she cried as they pulled her down in the wreckage.

"Watch where your goin' lady!" One cried.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Another screamed.

By now Garcia could feel a prick of tears in her eyes. The pain, the humiliation, the pure shock that comes from situations like this. It was all to much at the moment.

"Why don't _you_ watch where _your_ going?" Someone asked above the tangeled mess.

It was the Ring Master. He stood above them, staring down from behind the white mask.

The boys whent silent.

"Ah, someone taller and probably stronger shows up and all that fire leaves huh? Your worse than our clown Bobo. Drunken idiot would atleast stand his ground towards _all_ fights." He leaned down and took Garcia's hand. "Have they hurt you to terribly my lady?"

"N-no." She whispered as she shrunk down toward the ground a little.

"Hey!" Kevin came running over, a plastic rod in hand. He started hitting the kids as they scrambeled to get off his girlfriend. "You better not meet _me_ in a dark alley!" He screamed, chasing them a little ways before running back to Garcia.

By this time the Ring Master had helped her up and was brushing her off as she got redder and redder in the face.

"Theres no need to be ashamed dear lady." he laughed, waving his cane around in the air and producing a bouquet of flowers from the tip.

"For you, as compensation that the Circus atleast appreciates your attendence here today." He bowed. Kevin kept a firm arm on her shoulder, but Garcia still took the flowers.

Inside the bouquet was two silver pieces of paper.

"The midnight showing. Absolute best!" the Ring Master enthusied. "One for the dear lady, and one for her prince charming." the Ring Master bowed towards Kevin.

Kevin's face turned alittle pink, but he did his best to hide the appreciation of the compliment.

"Ah man, well... you know..." he shrugged, holding Garcia alittle closer.

"I dont. Cupid absolutely refuses to smile upon me. All I can do is watch and admire." the Ring Master punctuated each word with motion. Shaking his head, waving his arms around, shrugging, or waving the cane around.

"Im sorry." Garcia said.

"As is I friend. As is I." the Ring Master shook his head sadly. "So," He perked his head up and leaned on the cane, "Can I expect you both there tommorow night?"

"Tommorow night?"

"Yes. The midnight showing is a once only. Sort of like a finale. We do it a few days before were scheduled to move on. Its done only once wherever we are."

"Then," Garcia tried, "Could I have a few more? Enough for my friends that is."

"Certainly!" the Ring Master waved his hand and produced the silver tickets from thin air.

"Thank you." Garcia said stiffly. Something was wrong here. Something was seriously off. He seemed familiar... but not from here. Had she known him?

The Ring Mast turned to leave, taking a giant step forward, when Garcia shot out from under Kevin's arm.

"Wait!" Garcia turned back to tell Kevin to wait, and knocked into the man infront of her.

"Oh!" The Ring Master nearly fell down. He paused, then turned back to Garcia.

"Careful Dear Lady, the ground's uneven here." He bent toward her, "now, you wnated something? I can't give more tickets you know."

"No, no its not that." Garcia took a steadying breath, "I was wondering if you remembered another person who visited here."

"Depends Dear Lady, I've seen many people come through here."

"He was chosen to be a participant in the Witch's show. He chose the giant smile with a diamond and tear drop above it." Garcia said, looking at the white plastic of the mask, afraid to make eye contact.

"Hmm... Spencer Reid? I remember him. Strange boy, but seemed lovable."

Garcia burst into tears, "He went missing the next day!"

"Oh don't cry Dear Lady!" the Ring Master pulled a hankercheif from his sleeve and dabbed her eyes with it. "Im sorry to hear something so tragic befell your friend. I hope you find him. Im sure he's still out there, after all, its only been a year."

"How do you remember so easily?" Garcia suddenely asked.

"I remember alot of things." the Ring Master shrugged. "And I read. I saw an article about that in the paper a few months ago."

Garcia nodded. "Well, thank you anyway. And thank you for all the tickets. I'll be sure to bring my friends."

"Remember Dear Lady, tommorow night!" The Ring Master pointed his finger in the air, punctuating the sentence.

Garcia nodded and turned around, walking calmly to Kevin.

"We have to leave." She hissed.

"Why?" Kevin asked incrediously, then he hit the rod to the palm of his hand, "He didn't do anything did he?"

"No. It's not what he did. It's what he said."

"What?" Kevin straightened up, hitting the rod harder.

"Not like that!" Garcia cried, steering him towards the parking lot, "He mentioned Ried's disapearence being in the newspaper."

"Honey, you gotta let that go. Being sad is one thing, but if you run away from every mention of his name than your never gonna move on!" Kevin sighed.

"No, no." Garcia shook her head, "It was never in the paper. JJ stopped it before it could get that far. The one broadcast was it. So how could he read it in the paper? And if he saw the broadcast why would he lie?"

"Ah." Kevin nodded, pretending to understand.

"It means, somethings going on. He remembered Junior G-man with such clarity, like he'd seen him yesterday!"

"Ah, I get it. You wanna go and investigate huh?" Kevin nodded, actually understanding this time.

"Exactly!"


	11. And That Makes Him Guilty of Kidnaping?

"Guys! Guys!" Garcia ran into the bullpen the next morning holding a stack of papers and the silver tickets.

"What is it Baby Girl?" Morgan leaned back in his chair.

"I think I might have found a connection to Reid!" She cried, eyes bright, if marred by dark cirles. She'd been up all night researching and reading about the Circus of Dreams.

Prentiss and Morgan shot out of there chairs! "what?" they both cried in unision.

Garcia ran up to the BAU room, pushing boxes onto the floor, letting them crash below.

Then she began placing papers side by side eachother. The first was of an old article about the circus, then one about the "Mysterious Ring Master." and finally one with a picture of Reid.

"Um... are you trying to say Reid joined the circus?" Prentiss asked as Morgan reorganized the boxes below.

"No. I'm saying they had somehting to do with his disapearence!" Garcia bubbled.

"... and thats a good thing?" Prentiss cried.

"No! Hell no! Baby dear, it means we can center the investigation on there!"

"Do you have anything else? A statment? or a witness?" Morgan asked, really trying to help his Baby Girl.

"Me! I was there last night, and I got knocked down by these idiots guys." SHe started.

"Oh Baby Girl I'm sorry." Morgan said.

"No, that's not important, anyway, the guy who helped me back up was him!" she pointed at the Ring Master. "Then he gave me free tickets to the midnight showing tonight. Enough for all of us and Kevin to go."

"And you think he's guilty of kidnapping from that?" Prentiss deadpanned.

"No, we got to talking and he mentioned Reid's disapearence being in the newspaper." both profilers blinked.

"It wasn't in-"

"Exactly! And before that he was talking about Spencer like he saw him and everything! Name, face, the whole thing! Doesnt that sound just a bit suspicious?" Garcia buzzed.

"Yes." They both answered.

"So were going to that Circus!"

* * *

><p>Hotch and Rossi and JJ were informed us this new information and given their ticket. Then a plan was formed.<p>

"So JJ, you go with Garcia and get the Ring Master talking _after_ the Circus. Morgan and I will be twenty feet behind you in case something goes wrong." Hotch instructed as everyone got guns and badges ready.

"Rossi and Prentiss will try talking to the other preformers while Detective Collins will scope out the rest of the Circus with the rest of the taskforce."

everyone nodded and they ran to the SUVs. It was already 11:30.

* * *

><p>Detective Collins, the detective assigned to Reid's case, sat outside the Big Top with the rest of the cops. All were dressed in civilian wear, trying to blend in. They were more of a precautionary measure than backup.<p>

The BAU sat on the first row of the stands, all holding a silver ticket and waitng tensly for the show to begin.

The lights went completely out, plunging the tent into darkness.

The Ring Master walked on, holding a lit torch close to his face. He bowed to the awaiting audience, then began the show.

"Tonight my friends, is the Mindnight Showing! Tonight we pull away all the strings and show you a _real_ Circus! Tonight, of all nights, is the special treat you've all been waiting your lives for!" He shouted.

"I know he's trying to make it fun, but the mask is starting to get annoying." Morgan whispered to Garcia, squeezing her shoulder tenderly, "It just makes this all creepy."

"That may be the point." Garcia whispered back before an old woman in the row behind shushed them.

"Tonight, feast your eyes on the power of Ms. Spider!" Ring Master cried.

The tall raven haired woman marched onto the tightropoe, and when a spotlight was thrust on her she raised her arms to reveal a web of spiders hanging on a spider web she wore like a shawl.

The women in the crowd screamed and a few fainted. Ms. Spider then tilted to the side, slowly, slowly going over the edge. She began to plunge to the ground. But she didnt move, just stayed absolutely still.

The spiders on her began flying off in twos and threes. Then fives and sixes. And finally all of the rest let go. She looked like she was free falling, she was only ten feet from the ground. Five, three, ten inches, two...

She jerked about a foot. Hanging still in the air an inch above the floor!

The tent was dead silent, then it erupted into ear-shattering applause!

"Thank you Ms. Spider!" Ring Master cried as she got up and a black blanket of spiders descended onto her. She walked out, waving regally as she did.

"Is this whole Circus like this?" JJ whispered to Prentiss.

"Yes. I can just tell."

* * *

><p>Next was the trapeze artists, performing above a net of fire. Then dodging the knives of the knife thrower. Then the tightrope couple Mr. and Mrs. Drahtseil.<p>

They barely stayed on the rope! When they both reached the middle they tangoed off the side and swung around it like they were a fan. Then they flew off it and landed on the trapeze acts podium.

"When is this over? The long wait's making me tense." Rossi asked Hotch.

The long wait ended after the witch's performance.

The tent went green, and the vulture chose another person to walk down and choose a sign.

This time it was a teenage girl. She chose a sign that looked like a ballerina holding a long pole across her chest with a spiral above her head.

"A lovely choice!" the Witch cried, shaking hands with the young girl. Really she was placing a pin that showed a rabbit in a tutu on the tightrope. (But only you dear readers know that so shh!)

After that the lights came completely back on with the Ring Master standing on a tall block of wood. He bowed to the crowd before saying, "Thank you for attending Quantico Virginia's Midnight Showing! Sadly we must move on to the next town in need of smiles!" He pointed both pointer fingres to the giant one painted on his mask, "So in three days time we'll be leavig you all for a little while!" He then bowed and hoped backwards off the block of wood.

As everyone was filling out, Hotch grabbed Rossi and JJ, "Get your partner. It's time."


	12. Murder?

Garcia's heart pounded as she walked alongside JJ. The two trailed the Ring Master in and out of the exit crowd. They kept pretty good pace with him, catching at the last second when he ducked inside a tent.

Garcia stopped just outside, forcing JJ to sigh and pull her through the lip of the tent.

Inside it looked like a kitchen of sorts. With long tables covered with stoves, pans, dishes, containers, silverware, and spilled piles of goo on the table and ground.

The Ring Master was just walking through the very end of the tent, out the exit flap.

"What the heck?" JJ cried, chasing after him with Garcia close behind.

The caught him going around the corner alongside the backs of the tents.

Going around the corner, they found him entering a long, rectangular tent.

On the inside of the entrance lip of the tent was a tall metal door.

When JJ tried it, it swung open easily.

"Wait a minute." She said when they were inside, "This is too easy. You saw how fast he was. If he wanted to get away, he would have."

Garcia was silent for a second, "So why is he letting us follow him?"

And then the door behind them shut, plunging them into the black darkness!

"Hey!" JJ screamed, knocking on the door. Then she felt the walls, waiting for rough polyester to touch her fingers.

But only cold, hard metal did. She felt for the edge of the wall, hoping they could climb over.

There was a metal cieling just above them.

"We're trapped!" Garcia squeaked. Letting the fear she'd been holding at bay since last night finally overwhelm her.

* * *

><p>Hotch had seen Garcia and JJ enter the tent, he'd also seen Mr. Drahtseil sneak over and slam the door shut, turning something in his hand just below the door handle.<p>

"Hey!" Morgan screamed as they ran over.

"I'll find him, you get them out!" Hotch cried, giving chase.

Morgan looked over the door, then pulled back the wall of the tent to see it hiding a metal wall. Above was a cieling.

They were boxed in?

Meanwhile, Hotch chased Drahtseil around the corner and down the road.

"Detective Collins!" He screamed and pointed toward the running trapeze artist.

The Detective nodded and joined chase, tackling the middle aged man to the dirt.

"Manny!" Mrs. Drahtseil screamed, running past Hotch. Had she been following him?

She pulled the detective off with surprising strength and laid herself protectively over him.

"You leave Manny alone!" She screamed.

Mr. Drahtseil looked up at his wife with surprise, "Cynthia?"

"Come on Manny, we'll get you all cleaned up in our tent! Oh, lets hope you didn't- ah good! You didn't destroy your pants in the fall! Mr. Orbis will be so angry if you do that! Oh!" She'd just tripped and fallen into Hotch who caught her.

Mr. Drahtseil grunted and pulled his wife close to her, but as they tried to leave, two cops in casual wear stepped infront of them and Hotch approached them from teh back.

"Mr. Drahtseil what where you doing locking two federal agents in and then running from the scene when we called out to you?" He asked, letting the mask he'd created from years of lawyering slip onto his face.

"Ahh... they were in there?" Mr. Drahtseil tried feebly.

"Yes, and you knew they were. You waited until they'd gone completely inside before you locked the door, now answer the question or I'll have you arrested as an accesory to the kidnapping and possible murder of Agent Spencer Reid."

Morgan had just run up, about to tell Hotch that they were locked in and he couldn't break the door when he heard the end of Hotch's sentence.

"Murder?"

Hotch turned, surprise splattered on his face, to see Morgan staring wide-eyed at him.

Hotch gave him a look before turning back, "My colleague isnt as well informed. He's been trying to realease the locked agents. Now, what were you doing?"

Mr. Drahtseil and Mrs. Drahtseil gave a pained look before he stepped forward, "You see," He said in a thick german accent, "Mr. Orbus just wanted a private conversation for a few minutes. He was gonna unlock the door when they'd finished. But he wanted it completely private, no one hiding behind thick screens and all that you know? We were never gonna do anything wrong, just get a conversation out of them."

"Well would you mind _unlocking_ them?" Morgan asked before turning to Hotch, "Try as I might, I cant get that door down. And its a complete metal box from the looks of it, I cant find another way in."

Mrs. Drahtseil squeaked," But Mr. Orbus will be so cross with us! Can't you let them finish their conversation? Then they'll come out fine. He'd never do anything to-"

"No ma'am we cant." Hotch interrupted stubornly.

Mr. Drahtseil threw his hands up in defeat, "Fine! I will unlock the door for you."

* * *

><p>JJ ran down the long hall of mirrors, with Garcia following slowly behind. JJ banged on the mirrors, abandoning concern that they'd break and just hitting the heck out of them. They never did, but Garcia really thought she shouldn't have been doing that.<p>

It looked like they were trapped in the hall of mirrors, a large maze of mirrors one could easily get lost in. And GArcia was sure they were lost. She couldn't remember the way they'd come.

"Hey!" JJ screamed for the hundreth time, banging on the mirror with her hand, "We're in here! Hey!"

A shadow passed one of the mirrors, dimming the light shing from below and above it for a second it was so tall. Garcia squeaked in fear. She couldn't tell where the shadow had passed.

"JJ." She whispered when she saw it again.

"What?" JJ turned, breathing hard from running and yelling.

"Something's in here with us!" Garcia shrieked when she saw it standing in one of the full length mirrors!


	13. The Hall of Mirrors

Prentiss and Rossi tried the crowbar against the lock of the door for the hundreth time. They'd abandoned their original posts when they heard Orbus was the suspect they needed to concentrate on.

While the Cops got everyone out of the circus, the rest of the BAU rounded up the other preformers and led them to the big top where they sat in the middle of the ring, away from the props and poles.

Meanwhile Prentiss and Rossi were tasked with looking for the key and/or getting the door open. Since Mr. Drahtseil had "lost" it in the chase, they decided the easier route was just forcing open the door.

"It... wont... OPEN!" Prentiss cried after the crowbar slipped from its position again, making Prentiss collide with the door.

"We need another tactic." Rossi said, "What's another way to open the door fast?"

"Gee, maybe finding the key?" Prentiss snarled. It was dark, it was no fun being out here, and she was mad enough they hadn't found Reid here, even as the whole Circus was being searched no one had any hope of finding the young genius here.

"Prentiss." Rossi sighed, "That-"

"I know I know. I'm just frustrated by this door!" She jerked her thumb toward said door to make her point.

"Well, maybe we could dig?"

"To much time."

"Locksmith?"

"One's been called but we need to do this _now_ Prentiss."

"Okay, okay, umm... i honestly don't know! Wait!" Prentiss scrambeled up, mentally kicking herself for not checking sooner. Yes! The hinges were on the _outside_ of the door!

"Get me a screwdriver!"

* * *

><p>It took less than ten minutes to bang all three pins out of the hinges before the door crashed to the ground. Then the cops and the BAU stormed inside the giant maze of mirrors.<p>

"Careful! Don't shoot unless your _sure_ its not one of us or the hostages." Hotch shouted from the back.

Everyone nodded and walked slowly through, branching off from the main body of people to take a turn left or right down a mirror hallway.

The lighting made the mirrors look like they were glowing, dazzling the BAU profilers reflections as they marched by.

* * *

><p>JJ stood up against Garcia, holding one hand to comfort the terrified technical analyst and standing infront to protect her. JJ was scared to, but she could control her fear better.<p>

"Who are you?" She called. It looked like a man wearing a top hat. The Ring Master?

"My name is Mr. Orbus."

"That doesn't tell me who you are." JJ called curtly.

Garcia was silent, then she took a breath and asked in a quivering voice, "Are you the Ring Master?"

The figure in the mirror was silent, standing rigidly still, then, "Yes."

"What are you doing?" Garcia cried, voice betraying the signs of nearing hysteria.

"No Dear Lady, what are _you_ doing? following me after my preformance? Not very grateful of you after i gave you all those tickets."

"We wanted to make sure you didn't have anything to do with.. with..." Garcia lost her nerve as JJ backed into her when it looked like he'd taken a step. Which he had. He'd begun walking toward them slowly. The Reflections growing bigger and bigger as he neared.

"The disapearence of Spencer Reid? No I didn't have anything to do with the disapearence Dear Lady. No, not me. I wasn't even around at the time, well, somewhat. Anyway, I do not know where he is. But if you wish to look yourself, go ahead."

By now he'd rounded the corner and stood infront of them. He reached out his cane and pointed it towards one of the mirrors. It moved on its own, swinging back and revealing a dark hall past the doorway.

"How do we know you wont do anything to us?" JJ asked.

"You have my word we will not harm you." Orbus said curtly. Then he motioned his cane towards the door, "Hurry, before she realizes and punishes me."

And without another word, Garcia rushed forward, pulling JJ through the door and into the black hall. The door closed quietly behind them, but they didn't even notice.

* * *

><p>Prentiss had somehow gotten seperated from the rest of them. She was completely alone, surrounded by mirrors.<p>

She scanned each one carefully, looking for anything she could chase after, listening hard for footsteps.

_Thump thump thump!_

Prentiss whirled around in a circle, looking for the source of the sound of running feet. Or was it banging? she couldn't be sure.

_Thump thump thump!_

Prentiss ran downa hallway. maybe she could corner them? Or atleast head them off?

_Thump thump thump!_

A dark, open doorway! One of the mirrors was a door! Prentiss didn't even think, she ran inside.

_Thump thump thump!_

It was pitch black, so she slowed down and walked cautiously, feeling with her feet for holes or obstructions in her path, anything to make her trip.

_Thump thump thump!_

What was that? It was really starting to bug her.

_Thump thump thump!_

Prentiss kept walking, feeling the hard, cold walls for another way, some other hall.

_Thump thump thump!_

BANG! That's when she collided face first with the door. She leapt back and felt her nose for blood or if it was broken. No, she was okay. Then she felt forward to find the door again.

_THUMP THUMP THUMP!_

What the heck was that?

* * *

><p>JJ and Garcia walked slowly. They'd just been invited into a part of the maze by the suspect of the whole case after he'd trapped them in here.<p>

Garcia held onto JJ like an iron clamp, letting herself be pulled down different turns and twists.

A shadow passed one of the mirrors, making both the women jump.

"We know your in here Orbus!" JJ shouted threateningly.

"JJ!" Garcia screamed.

On the mirror to their left was a white, disembodied head covered in black burn marks. It lifted a white hand to its mouth, touching the pointer to it's lips. _Shh!_

Garcia stopped breathing entirely. JJ stepped back, hitting the other mirror. She heard giggles as the mirror tileted backwards and forwards before resettling in its original position.

"Okay, we be quiet." JJ whispered.

"JJ, I cant do this anymore!" Garcia's strangled, fear ridden voice was enough to amke JJ reconsider going ahead.

"We're doing this for Reid. He could be at the end of this and we not even know it! This is the closest we've come in a long time Pen. Do you really want to turn back?" JJ asked, looking Garcia straight in the eye.

Garcia whimpered, but shook her head.

"Good." JJ said softly and took her friends hand, leading her down the next hall and turning to the right.

* * *

><p>Prentiss was mad. All she'd done after walking through a pitch black hall and nearly flatening her nose was walk into another part of the maze. But when she'd walked through that door, it'd swung closed and locked itself. Prentiss wasn't even sure anyone knew where she was.<p>

_'They wont just leave you here. Keep calm and look for Reid while you have the chance.'_ She kept telling herself.

A left, right, and another left turn and the maze opened up into a somewhat circular room-like space. A dead end, but a good place to just look.

The mirrors reflected tons of shadows floating by on only the mirrors. there was no fog, no mist, nothing to reflect on besides her. Yet there they were, floating around her in the mirrors.

Prentiss got close to one and touched it, wondering if the shadows were just smudges.

A shriek followed by giggles rang out when her skin made contact with the glass, causing her to jump back.

"REID IF YOUR IN HERE ANSWER ME!" She screamed, completely shaken now. She was scared. And when she was scared, she was angry.

_Thump thump thump!_

"Seriously?" She cried.

THUMP THUMP THUMP!

She turned around to see a silhouette against a suddenely foggy mirror, kicking and hitting it.


	14. Scream

JJ and Garcia turned another corner to see a black door at the end.

"JJ this is the end!" Garcia cried, begining to race forward before JJ caught her by the arm.

"Garcia. Reid?"

"But... what if we dont find it again?" Garcia asked quietly.

JJ looked around, then peeled off her jacket and wrapped it around her hand. Then she punched the glass out, sending shards everywhere across the floor.

Then JJ laid out the jacket on a clean area of floor.

"Pick up the shards. We can leave a trail that'll lead back to this broken mirror." She said, bending over and begining to carefully pick up the pieces.

Garcia nodded and began hurridly picking them up.

* * *

><p>Detective Collins had seen many things on the job, some crazy, some gory, some just plain unbelievable.<p>

But today trumped all when the knife thrower gave a sudden shout and lurched forward, flailing helplessly on the ground while his coworkers screamed around him.

Blood dripped from his ears and mouth, his eyes glazed over and he was still.

The Knife Thrower from the Circus of Dreams was dead on the ground infront of Detective Collins.

"The Mirror!" someone cried, "His mirror's broken!"

"Check the mirror!" Someone echoed.

"Where's the mirror?" Someone else cried from somewhere.

Detective Collins leaned helplessly over the dead man, at a loss for what to say or do to help the man.

No bullet, stab, or injection wounds as far as he could see. What happened to him?

* * *

><p>Prentiss stared at the thing hitting against the glass terrfied. What should she do? Walk toward it and risk being killed, or run away and risk Reid being killed.<p>

Prentiss ran forward wiping at the mirror to clear its vision.

And screamed.

**Hehehe! ) sowy**


	15. Corpse

Hotch and Morgan had been walking down the hall at a crawls pace, guns at the ready and eyes peeled for the Ring Master.

Then they heard a scream.

"Prentiss!" Morgan shouted, taking off!

"Morgan!" Hotch tried but it was too late he was gone. He sighed and turned to the communicator on his wrist (**A.N. He actually has this. you can see him calling for medics with it in one episode. but idk what its called. sowy**)

Morgan tore through the left hall, running down and taking another right, a left, a right... so on and such. then he turned left again and there was a black door at the end.

"Better than nothing." He muttered, running at it. He crashed into it of course. So he tried kicking, pushing and breaking it open.

But it was closed tight.

A shadow passed nearby him.

"I don't want another doll!" It screamed and Morgan heard the sound of glass breaking.

* * *

><p>Prentiss stared up into the mirror as it unfogged in the cold air.<p>

"Reid." She whispered, tears coming to her eyes.

He was desperatly kicking and hitting the mirror like he was trapped under water. She could see tears streaking down his face so she knew he was above water. He was just... floating? But she noticed he was crying. It wrenched at her heart. He had bruises all up and down his arms and shirt was a little torn up.

"Reid!" She said louder. He still didn't notice.

"REID ANSWER ME!" She cried, tears pouring over. She ran to the mirror and banged on it, "REID!"

She kept banging and calling out to him for awhile. Then she stepped back and unholstered her gun.

Raising it towards the mirror she prepared to strike.

* * *

><p>JJ and Garcia were running down the hall, throwing a glass shard to the ground whenever they turned a corner.<p>

"Almost there! We gotta be almost there!" JJ called over her shoulder, looking back to see Garcia still behind her.

_WHAM!_ She ran full on into something.

He was tall, had dark hair, and was wearing dress pants and a dress shirt.

He was Hotch.

"Ow." JJ deadpanned, getting up. "If we'd known you were in here we would have lead you to us."

"Where's Prentiss?" Garcia asked.

"We think she stumbled onto something, Morgans going after her right now." Hotch said, reholstering his gun. "We're gonna go find her right now."

"Allright then, lets go." JJ said, walking behind Hotch. "What? I wanna find him just as bad."

Hotch shrugged and Garcia and JJ fell instep with him.

"Oh!" Garcia almost forgot, she bent down and placed a mirror fragment on the floor as they turned the corner and disapeared among the thousands of mirrors.

* * *

><p>"Agent Rossi." Detective Collins shouted, running towards the FBI agent standing by the door. Rossi had decided to comeback and guard the entrance after getting hopelessly turned around inside. When he'd found the exit, he'd bolted faster then even he thought he could move.<p>

"Yes?"

"You need to see this." Detective Collins said painfully.

Walking back to the tent, the detecive grew more and more anxious.

"Now, we didn't shoot him or anything allright? He just, jerked foreward and collapsed. He was bleeding everywhere too. And then the other preformers started screaming something about mirrors."

"Mirrors?"

"'Check his mirror', 'Where's his mirror', 'The mirror must have broken'. Stuff like that. We don't understand it."

The two walked into the tent were they had to force thier way through the mourning group of preformers.

Under a white sheet stained with red blood spots laid the Knife Thrower.

Rossi knelt down and picked up a corner of the sheet.

"NO!" Someone shouted, a girl in a pink tutu and a pink and yellow mask that covered her eyes. She raced forward, tears sliding out from under the mask, "Don't pick that up! Leave him be!"

The cops swarmed around her, holding her back. Rossi decided to make a quick look and leave him alone to ease the girl before they had to tranquilize her.

"NO!"

Rossi looked under, and almost lost his dinner.

Under the sheet the body had decayed rapidly. He now looked more skeleton than corpse.

"The mirror broke! So he broke." Mr. Drahtseil whispered, holding his crying wife.

* * *

><p>"Morgan!" Hotch cried, seeing the agent on the floor. A pool of blood was forming under his head and glass was everywhere. The mirror infront of him was totally destroyed. Bloody cuts were all up and down his arms and fingers, like he'd gotten into a fight with the destroyed mirror.<p>

Hotch got down and checked his vitals. "He's just unconcious!" he heard Garcia and JJ sigh in relief behind him. Hotch picked up his head, "Yeah, I think he's okay."

"What happened here?" JJ asked, stepping carefully through the carnage.

"I don't know but I know my Chocolate baby kicked that mirrors butt." Garcia said, hugging the corner of the mirror wall closely.

"I sure did." Morgan sighed, waking up.

"Oh honey suckle your awake!" Garcia smiled.

"Am I? I'm still inside this nightmare!" Morgan exclaimed, wincing as he got up.

"What happened?" JJ asked.

"That freaky mirror came at me!" Morgan cried.


	16. Flashback

**Ok, flash back chapter time! :D haha =^-^=**

The stares Mrogan recieved were on par with that of the stares most lunatics got as they were being walked to cop cars after they finally get arrested

"Seriously!" Morgan cried, "The Mirror started talking and when I turned around this... _thing_ was coming at me!"

"Wait... what?" JJ asked.

"Chocolate Bear are you sure you didn't hit your head a little hard?" Garcia asked.

"No!" Morgan cried, "And what's more, I think I saw Reid! Just before I blacked out!"

"Where?" JJ asked anxiously.

Morgan pointed at the mirror. "In there. He pulled that... _thing_ back through, then broke the mirror."

* * *

><p><strong>(About an hour or so ago)<strong>

"I dont want another doll!" Something screamed behind Morgan.

He whirled around to see a small girl with stringy, matted hair and a black, tattered dress. Her skin was pale and veiny, and covered in blood stains. She was standing infront of a destroyed mirror. Behind her was a black abyss.

She lunged, letting an inhuman snarl rip through her, long yellow nails reaching for his face.

Morgan shouted and held up his arms to protect his face. Then, when she landed into his forearm, batted her away, landing her against another mirror. She whimpered and then growled as she got up and lunged again.

"Ahh!" He cried, actually hitting her this time. She reeled back and tripped, into the black abyss. She fell through and there was a definite sucking sound.

Morgan sighed and sank to his knees. Glad that was over.

Then he walked over to the black hole. He poked his head through. There was just... nothing. It was black and empty.

Morgan dug a quarter out of his pocket and dropped it into the abyss. He listened for the fall.

And listened.

And listened.

And listened.

There was nothing. It just jept going.

"Wow." Morgan nodded, impressed.

"Reid!" He called. Then chastisied himself for being so stupid. How in the world could he hear Morgan if the whole thing was this massive?

Shaking his head, he turned around and-

Tripped over his left foot as it was grabbed by the creepy little girl again. She'd grabbed his ankle. She was now giggling and gasping for air as she started to pull him in.

"I guess I could find room for you!" She laughed, lifting her head so he could see her coppery insane eyes. She started pulling faster, "New Toys are always so fun!"

"No!" Morgan started kicking, and kicking hard. Her arm, her hand, her face, anywhere. Just to get her to let go! The kicks grew more and more desperate as the little girl pulled him in farther and farther.

"Help me!" He screamed, just shouting names that popped into his head, not thinking. "Someone! Hotch! Reid! Garcia! JJ! Prentiss! Rossi! Detective-"

"AGHH!" The girl screamed and Morgan looked to see one bony hand wrapping itself around her head. She let go and fell back. They were somehow standing in the abyss so they didn't fall.

Her attacker wrapped his arm around her head nad pulled her back, throwing her over his knee so she flipped over, falling onto her face at an odd angle. She threw her arms up, clawing at his legs. He grabbed them with his hands and ended up leaning over her as they had a power struggle.

But she got the upper hand when she kicked him hard in the stomach. He _Oomfed_ and fell to the side, coughing and hacking. She got up, giggling madly and desperatly. She started running to the opening of the mirror but he struggled up in time and tackled her.

"NO!"

Morgan had been watching the fight, but when the girl was dragged from the mirror the mirror had given a shudder and a sort of filmed had dropped from the top, latching itself to the floor. Morgan stared through, but when the silver goo oozed out of nowhere he couldn't see for a few seconds. Then it cleared up like regular glass. Only a little more reflective. It got harder and harder to see what was going on from Morgan's point of view.

But he saw clear as crystal when she raced out from under the attacker and hit the newly made glass full on in the face, snarling and scratching the glass. Staring only at Morgan in a mad rage. The attacker limped over and collapsed on her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. From where Morgan was standing he could see the ragged breathing of his savior, the rapid up and down of his shoulders. The insane little girl made some hacking sounds and diverted her attention to him, clawing at his face, covering her fingers in blood, to make him let go.

But he didn't, he just looked up at Morgan, exsposing his neck and upper chest to her.

"GO!" Reid screamed before grabbing the girl tighter and lunging at the mirror head on.

He collided, and the mirror shattered, the impact wave knocking Morgan off his feet and cracking his head on the floor.

He moaned and did not move again.


	17. Flashback 2: Blood

**I command you! Review! Or you wont see your Spencer alive (o wait, yes you will. Just turn on the tv!... still review!)**

**Okay, this ones kinda a flashback chapter. after all, what happened to Prentiss and Reid's mirror?**

Morgan held the ice to his head gingerly. When the medic gave it to him he said he had to place it there or else the stitches would swell.

Garcia sat next to him, rubbing his shoulder and keeping him company.

When they'd seen the corpse... or full on skeleton Rossi and the corner carted out no one would have believed it except Rossi said he'd watched with his own two eyes as the decay process was speeded up to only a few hours. Even now, as it sat in the back of the corners car, it was quickly turning to dust.

"Sugar Bear," Garcia said quietly, "Maybe we shouldn't tell anyone about this yet."

"What?" Morgan asked, half suspecting they still didn't believe him.

"I believe you," Garcia said, guessing at what the accusatory tone meant, "In fact, that creepy skeleton helps your story beyond the stratosphere, but if we want tofind Reid we need to move fast. Telling people would just slow us down."

"Did Hotch tell you to do this?"

"Yes. But only because he wants to find Reid faster."

"I found him!" Someone shouted.

"Just like that." Garcia said, getting up and following Morgan as everyone sprinted out and towards Prentiss who limped from around the corner.

"Where is he?" JJ asked.

"In the mirror!" Prentiss gasped, leaning on Hotch's offered shoudler. He wrapped his arm around her waist and they started walking toward the ambulance.

"Still?" Morgan muttered. Garcia swatted at him but kept walking with him.

Hotch sat her down on the edge of the ambulance, "What happened?"

"I saw Reid. He was trapped in a mirror. And it looked like he was fighting desperatly to get out. But when I tried-oh!" the medic had grabbed her ankle gently, but when she cried out he struggled to pull the pants leg up as she pulled back. the ankle was purple and swollen. Everyone internally winced.

"When you what?" Hotch asked.

Prentiss took a few deep breathes then continued.

* * *

><p><strong>(While everything had been happening up to chapter 17)<strong>

Prentiss unholstered the gun and got ready to strike the mirror. Maybe if she broke him out he could tell her what had been going on around here. Then they could find an exit together.

She raised it, but when she swung down someone grabbed her arm rather tightly.

"Now that," they said, rage dripping in their voice, "Is a very bad idea indeed." He swung her arm back turned her around.

It was the Ring Master. The mask only made him more threatning.

Reid had stopped banging on the mirror. He'd seen the Ring Master, why not Prentiss. he stared shocked, like he was seeing everything for the first time.

The Ring Master stared back, then he twirled Prentiss around till she was facing Reid, Ring Master's arms wrapped tightly around her. He hugged her close which only enraged Reid. He began banging harder, kicking so hard Prentiss was afraid he'd break his toes or something.

"Reid!" she cried desperatly, struggling in the Ring Master's grip. She kicked at his legs and scratched his arms, but he only moved her closer and closer to the glass. Until he was pressing her face right up against it. Prentiss was finding it harder and harder to breathe.

Reid reered back his fist and brought it against the glass, toward the Ring Master's face.

But instead of banging against the glass and doing nothing, he broke through it and socked the Ring Master full on in the face, making him let go of Prentiss and fall to the floor, the mask falling off and sliding far to the other side of the room. Prentiss landed near Reid's mirror, and she looked up when she heard a sort of sucking sound.

Reid was staring concerndly over her, but then jerked back, like he'd heard something.

"NO! REID DON'T GO!" Prentiss screamed, running to the mirror and placing her hand where the hole was. Reid had stock still, and simply deteriorated away, like dust in the wind...

Only her hand hit smooth glass. The hole had fixed itself!

"Hahahaha!" The Ring Master laughed, getting up. He stumbled over to Prentiss and grabbed her by the shoudlers. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. Pressing his face into her shoulder. He let go with one arm and brought up a knife.  
>Prentiss was so shocked at having lost Reid for a second time, she almost didn't notice.<p>

"NO!" she screamed, elbowing him in the rib and kicking him in the knee he let go in reflex to the pain. She shot out from under him and ran to the otherside, about to turn the corner and run when she heard Reid shout, "Wait!"

She turned around, expecting to see him in one of the mirrors.

Instead she saw the Ring Master straighten up and wipe the blood from his mouth.

From Reids mouth.


	18. SixWay Break

Morgan stared at Prentiss. "How can he be in the mirror and be punched by a mirror at the same time?"

Prentiss shrugged, wincing when the ice was taped to her ankle.

"That's what i asked."

"Did he tell you?"

"No. He ran at me with the knife. I tripped and fell at one point. He stepped on my ankle."

Everyone besides the working medic stared at the ankle in awe.

"So Reid's either playing some kind of mind trick with us-"

"Hotch!" Morgan snapped.

"-or there really is somethinmg going on here."

"There is!" Prentiss shouted, then winced when the medic wrapped the ice tighter.

"Is he still in there?" Hotch asked.

"I dunno. Probably." Prentiss shrugged, "After he did this," She gestured to her ankle, "I elbowed him in the nose pretty hard. I think he may have hit a mirror or something 'cause i heard a crash.

"Everyone, besides you Prentiss of course, get strapped up. Where going in fully armed and ready. I want this guy in an interogation room _now_!"

"Screw it Hotch, Im coming too!" Prentiss shouted, running on the injured ankle after them.

* * *

><p>Everyone, BAU, cops, Detective Collins, were all busy strapping the velcro straps of the SWAT armour. Donning thick plastic black helmets and attaching eye peices to the giant guns slung on their shoulders. Approaching the entrance very carefully, the leader of the SWAT tossed in an open tear gas bomb! The room quickly filled with the gas, and he shouted the order to move in.<p>

It was mostly just literal smoke and mirrors. Reflectiions of black suited men running with guns danced along the mirrored halls and green and white gass floated up from the floor.

"this is Red 1 over." said the leader.

"You've got Detective Collins here." Collins said over the walkie talkie strapped to his shoulder.

"We don't see anything and thermals aren't getting anything either. All we've found are the blood stains from Agent Prentiss and the tons of glass from both Agents Morgan and Jerueau and Garcia. And we just took out that mirror Agent Morgan told us about and there's nothing there."

"Seriously?" Collins tried his own thermal locator. Nothing. They were the only ones in there.

"Maybe he left." Prentiss reasoned.

"No. We have both entrances locked."

"Its a big place-"

"We'd pick up on his thermal radiation, the place is just small enough I can stand here and tell you, he ain't here!"

"Maybe theres another way out?"

"We got this place surrounded and its a _moving_ circus! Kinda hard to make secret tunnels with the month they've been here. atleast one that can support him long enough for us to give up and leave." Collins was busy checking his instruments, not noticing the annoyed looks Prentiss shot at the mirror.

Then the mirror shivered, and Reid- Mr. Orbus- winked at her before disapearing a split second later.

"AHH!" Prentiss screamed, hitting the other mirror.

The second her skin touched the glass the sounds of her colleauges and friends asking if she was okay died to a low buzzing.

Instead she heard a woman screaming and begging to be left alone. Not to come near. Then she heard a low, girlish giggle and another scream before Morgan pulled her off the glass.

"are you okay?" the dizzy vision of two Morgans asked, holding her up.

Prentiss shook her head, clearing her head, "Mm-hmm." She managed, leaning into him wearily.

Reid-sorry, Mr. Orbus- looked at her again, a Cheshire cat smile on his face. He nodded approval at her and faded into the mirror again.

"Was that...?" JJ tried.

"No. No, couldn't be." Morgan said, struggling to compose himself and keep Emily supported.

"Lets keep going." Hotch whispered.

Everyone nodded and began making there way farther in, Morgan helping Emily. What did he do to her?

* * *

><p>They kept walking until they came to a six way fork in the road.<p>

"Crap." Collins muttered. "Okay, I'll take this one. Go the end and then come back. We'll wait for everyone okay?" Then he charged head on into the middle one.

"No! Detective Collins! DETECTIVE COLLINS!" But none of Hotch's screaming could bring the idiot detective back.

Morgan shrugged, dragging Prentiss down the next one. To Hotch's great aggrivation.

"Fine!" He threw his hands up, "GO!"

And so they did.


	19. Hell's Entrance

**Okay, so I read some of the reviews and I'm pleased some of you are confused. Shows your paying attention! Anyway, bear with me a little longer. If I reveal it all now itll take away from the creepiness and stuff.**

Prentiss and Morgan walked slowly. Prentiss had regained her strength, but now her ankle was hurting.

"Shoulda stayed outside."

"Shutup, how big is this place anyway? It's like the mausoleum in here. It didn't look so big outside."

"That's the problem with magic and curses. Mess up the perportions." The mirror next to Morgan said.

"Morgan come on." Prentiss shook her head. "Not even I can take you seriously when you talk like that."

"That. Wasn't. me." Morgan said slowly.

"We're the only two here. Who else would... it... be..."

Prentiss had just seen a dark shadow in the mirror. And it was walking closer... she thought. The outline of a body was growing atleast.

Then Reid's face popped up.

"Reid?"

"No."

Morgan and Prentiss looked at eachother.

"You two are a problem."

"Who are you?" Morgan interuppted.

"Mr. Orbus stupid." Reid deadpanned, "Anyway, you two are-"

"Why do you look like Reid?" Prentiss asked.

"Not telling." Reid grinned.

Morgan rolled his eyes, then grabbed his gun and struck the mirror.

A high, girlish scream emited and Reid disapeared.

"That was weird." Prentiss muttered as Morgan helped her along. They still had a ways to go to get to the end. It looked like a super long hallway. It didn't help that it kept getting darker and darker.

* * *

><p>JJ had been apart of the FBI for a long time, mostly with the BAU, and been in weird situations. But none so much as this. The long halls were possibly getting longer. And darker. The shadows in the mirror floated behind her reflection, dancing around her. JJ could have sworn she heard whispering behind the mirrors.<p>

"Reid you idiot!" She screamed, thouroghly freaked out when she swore she saw a face shine through the shadows, "Get out here! Its not funny!"

"Who said anything was supposed to be funny?" the mirror behind her asked.

JJ froze. When Morgan told her of the crazy girl who'd tried to drag him into the mirror she'd pictured some mental hospital escapee with eyes gouged and blood splattered everywhere. Not to mention just looking dead, or like a nightmare in general. Her stomach churned, should she turn around?

"Well?" the mirror asked again, it sounded like a little girl, "What's so funny?"

JJ started running down the hall. Maybe she could find another way back. Maybe she'd wait for the rest to come her way. She just knew she wasn't coming back down this hall alone.

"HEY! I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" Someone screamed behind her. The mirrors infront of JJ exploded into glass shards and dust!

JJ screamed, dropping to the floor and covering her head.

The dust cleared and the glass stopped sliding across the floor, and JJ heard footsteps growing closer.

"Well? I'm getting tired of asking and I've now deemed you annoying. So hurry up." the mysterious girl kicked JJ in the leg. JJ took a steadying breath and looked up into the dark copper eyes of a rather normal looking little girl.

"Who are you?" JJ asked.

"Answer first, I dont like to be kept waiting."

JJ looked down, "I was just blowing off frustration while looking for my friend." she said meekly. Why was she so afraid of this little girl?

"Hmm. Then why are you looking here? Why are you even here?" The little girl asked, bending down.

JJ knew she shouldn't but a sudden pang of annoyance hit her, so she did. "You didn't answer my questions. Thats how it works doesn't it? You answer my questions too."

The little girls cheeks puffed out and turned red while her nose crinkled in fury. then, like a switch had been flipped, she smiled and nodded, "You know how to play games. I've decided to like you."

"Ok." JJ noddes, "Now will you tell me where my friend is?"

"Maybe." the little girl giggled, "What's his name?"

"Spencer Reid."

"Ooh, is he cute?"

"I, uh, have a picture right here." JJ smiled, pouring on the nice lady act to mask her fear. She flipped out her wallet and opened the first plastic folder to reveal a picture of her whole team. "Right there." she pointed to Reid's smiling face.

"That's my puppet!" The little girl said excitedly, jumping up and down, "Oh he's so much fun!"

JJ stopped breathing, a cold sweat sliding down her back. Puppet?

"We play circus with all the rest of the puppets all the time!" she continued.

JJ looked around, thinking. Then she took a breath and looked the girl in the eye, "Can I play to?"

The little girl stared for a long time, "No." Then she got up and started walking down the hall.

"Why?" JJ shouted, getting up.

"I don't need another puppet yet." she answered, then disapeared through the first intact mirror she crossed. JJ screamed at the girls reflection. In the mirror she burned and pale, her eyes empty sockets. The girl turned to look at her, real and reflection grinning wickedly.

"Wait!" she shouted, pounding her fist against the mirror when she reached it, "Can I atleast see him? The puppet? just for a few minutes? It all I need!" she screamed.

All was quiet.

"Please?" JJ whimpered, sliding down the mirror in exhaustion.

* * *

><p>Garcia was a tough girl. She got shot, she went home, she worked her computers, and caught the jerk who shot her. He was currently lying in a dirt pit while she was up walking around trying to find one of her many best friends.<p>

But she coudln't find anything. And that made her angry.

"Reid!" She shouted, "Reid please say something!"

"RUN!"

Garcia looked behind her, then ahead. There, in the distance, was a thin, wiry man running like crazy. His left eye was bruised and dried blood ran down his head and neck and down his right arm. His left knee was scabbed and their was a hole worn over his knee.

"REID!" She cried surprised.

"RUN GARCIA!" So she did, towards him.

"Reid, we're not leaving without you!" They met in the middle, almost colliding with eachother!

"Reid! Your allitle beat up, but your okay!" She cried, wrapping him in a bear hug.

"Garcia." He whispered.

"Oh sorry!" she smiled, releasing him. She looked him up and down. Or she tried, his head was bent low so she couldn't see his face.

Besides the blood and ripped sweats his shirt and sweats and socks were grimy and dirty. Covered with layers of grim and dirt. A few spots where even black. There were a lot of tiny cuts up and down his arms. His hair was atleast washed, but a small section in the front looked burned.

"Gosh Reid, what did they do to you?" She asked, rubbing one arm. "Lift your head up atleast.

"Garcia," he whispered, "Lets go. And hurry, before they realize Im gone."

"Sure Pumpkin!" She said hurriedly. She grabbed his hand and they started running down the hall.

"Can I atleast see your face?" She panted.

Reid didn't answer, instead he lead her down the hall as they ran.

* * *

><p>Detective Collins had served for a long time. He was skilled and ready to fight. He'd almost died several times.<p>

So, he thought he was ready to face this weird predicarment.

He was wrong.

Not two seconds in the hall, when he was still running, he saw a dark figure flitting past the mirrors.

When it stopped, he ran harder to catch up with it.

_"Your not a puppet! All of you aren't my puppets!"_

He heard something whisper that over and over again. He pressed his ear to the mirror, it sounded like it was coming from behind it!

The second his ear made contact with the glass though, a scream emmited and a decaying, skelton like hand shot around his neck.

"NO!" he screamed, the glass breaking to emit him into hell!


	20. What the Hell is That?

Reid led Garcia back down the hallway she'd come. They hadn't stopped running once.

"Reid... the... exit... is... down... the third... left!" Garcia panted.

Reid nodded, pouring on a little more speed while gripping Garcia harder.

"Ow Reid!"

"Sorry." He called.

They turned a corner and Garcia could see it, her light at the end of the tunnel! She could see the entrance!

"Reid hurry!" she cried, drunk and dizzy with the possibility of escaping!

And hurry they did... until Reid hit the mirror!

"Reid!" Garcia couldn't believe it! He'd missed the door by one mirror next to it!

"Sorry!" He gasped, peeling himself off. Garcia grabbed him by the arm, "Wait a minute."

She grabbed the back of his head and yanked down. She didn't want to get so rough, but he was hiding somthing here.

Then she screamed, backing up a foot.

"I'd really hoped you wouldn't do that Garcia." Reid snapped, raising his head again.

"Reid?" Garcia edged quietly toward the door.

"Don't leave!" He cried, rushing at the door and slamming it closed, "She want's you guys now. I'm supposed to bring you to her. Then I'm gonna go back for JJ."

"Reid... what the hell did she do to you?" Garcia asked.

* * *

><p>Hotch had reached the end of his hallway. It was just a dead end, with mirrors.<p>

"AHHH!" He heard someone screaming back at the entrance.

"Detective?" Hotch high-tailed it down the hallway, a very short hallway strangley, and turned the corner.

Down it he heard screaming, the Detective obviously.

But when he reached it, he wished the hall was alot longer.

The Detective lay in a pool of his own blood, glass shards everywhere. The burn scars were shapped like handprints and where placed all along his neck.

He'd been strangled by burning hands?

Hotch turned the man over to see where the blood was coming from. Glass cuts scratched their way through every artery in his torso by entering his back.

Hotch laid him back down. Detective Collins was dead.

* * *

><p>Morgan and Prentiss had given up and turned around. They were making great time back. In fact, when they turned the last corner the entrance opened up to them.<p>

Showing Reid grab Garcia by the arm as she screamed and fought desperatly against him. She landed a lucky shot, knocking him back by landing a fist into his face.

"REID!" Prentiss cried in horror, unwinding her arm from Morgan and throwing herself infront of him.

Reid shrugged and lunged, "Fine, two with one stone is okay with her!"

_BANG! BANGBANGBANG! BANG!_ Morgan riddled Spencer Reid with holes!

Reid took a small step, gasped, and collapsed infront of them in a pool of blood.

"MORGAN!" both women screamed.

But Morgan was the one who saw it. The thing behind him in the mirror. It wasn't Reid. In fact, it wasn't even human.

"Look!" He threw his gun aside and picked up "Reid" by his neck, thrusting him infront of a mirror.

The reflection was of a burned and flaking corpse. A corpse with blonde, short hair. There were no eyes.

"oh my-"

"Exactly. This wasn't Reid!" Morgan threw the dead imposter to the ground.

"What the hell is that?" Prentiss pointed to the cadaver's face. Besides the black sockets for eyes and the pointed teeth, there was a circle with a bunny dressed as a Grim Reaper burned into the guy's cheek.

"That's the mark of the pawn's." Mr. Orbus stepped into the door, closing it behind him.

The lock of the deadbolt was deafening to the profilers.


	21. Black and Clawed and Reaching

"The... what?" Morgan asked, being the first to recover himself.

"The mark of the Pawn's is what Lyssa names the puppets who grow of no use to her. The one's she get's bored with. Go back a few decades and most of those puppets are Pawn's. Him, I remember him, your friend replaced him." Mr. Orbus pointed at his own face, Reid's face.

To Prentiss it was so surreal. she'd never seen Reid with that kind of scowl on his face, or that look of evil in his eyes.

"So... he used to be you?"

"He was the Ring Master puppet... until he cracked." Reid... Mr. Orbus shrugged.

"Cracked?" Morgan asked.

"It was to hard to control him. Even if I was nice to him. He almost escaped and regained control of his... my body the night Lyssa got her new puppet." Again he pointed to his own face with a white gloved hand.

"Why?" Garcia choked out.

Mr. Orbus laughed softly, "Why?" He took a step, punctuating the motion with his cane. "It's rather obvious young lady." Another step, "We want to preform. We want to play with Lyssa for all time and eternity. We want to be with Lyssa."

Morgan had been watching Mr. Orbus' face. Looking for a sign of weakness. He found it.

"Your lying." Morgan sneered. "Your mouth says one thing, but your body says another. Your forced here aren't you. You have no more control over anything then Reid does don't you?"

Mr. Orbus remined silent, instead burning a hole in the floor to reveal a black abyss and jumped through.

"So it is true!" Morgan screamed, hoping taunting would make him come back. "You tell Reid we're on his trail! He'll be home before Halloween!"

"I sincerely doubt that." came the echoed reply.

* * *

><p>JJ kept walking down the hall. Searching the shadows in the mirror for that weird little girl again.<p>

Instead she found... an exit?

It was. The beginings of Dawn where on the horizon and the whole place smelled fresh. She could see dew sparkling on the grass.

But... where were the trucks? The police cars? Most of the tents?

All she could see was a Big Top, a few caravans and a wall of trees. The trees weren't there before, JJ was sure of that.

"Hello?" She called. "Hotch? Detective Collins? Morgan?" She walked toward the big top. She could hear the faintest notes of music from there.

Walking along the path, leaving the door to the Hall Of Mirrors behind and wide open, led her to the Big Top.

With a deep breath she pulled the opening lip of the tarp aside.

And found herself in the middle of a Circus in full swing.

"And for our next performance, the lovely Juliet will make herself fly before the highwire!" Mr. Orbus announced to the single audience member, the little girl JJ had met in the mirrored hall earlier. She sat on the top of the row of the stands in a giant throne.

Lyssa clapped her hands, "Yay! I love Juliet's act!"

"This time, Juliet makes her debut appearance as your new puppet!" Mr. Orbus cried, directing the unmanned spotlight to point to the girl. She was the girl the witch chose at the Midnight showing!

"So that's how they do it!" she breathed, JJ crept closer in to the tent, hiding behind the first set of empty stands.

Juliet began dancing along the tightrope to the tune of a flute that played from somewhere JJ couldn't see.

JJ ducked beneath the stands and began picking her way through the beams and supports quickly, making her way towards Lyssa.

Maybe she could do something?

* * *

><p>Hotch finally ran through the exit, almost running down Morgan who stood infront of the door. Morgan turned, atfirst looking pissed, but relaxing when he saw it was Hotch.<p>

"There you are." Morgan grinned, "We thought the freaks running around in there got you."

Hotch took a minute to regain his breath. He'd run straight from where Detective Collins lay.

Morgan looked around and frowned, "Where's JJ?"

"She's not with you?" Hotch finally asked, straightening up.

"No."

"She's still inside!" Prentiss cried, running up.

"How do you-"

"Mr. Orbus cracked... maybe... and he gave us the passwords and stuff to a surveilance system we didn't even know about!" Prentiss cried.

"Why didn't we notice it?" Morgan asked suspiciously.

"Because its those small pin-soxed camera's. The one's you have to pay big money for- wait, thats not important! What is important is that she's inside! and I think she's hurt or something! look!" she thrust a printout of an image showing JJ lying on the floor agianst a mirror.

And there was something in the corner... something black and clawed, and reaching for her foot.


	22. Warm

**I know it's short but it's sort of a filler chapter. It wouldn't be the same if I added it to the next part of the story.**

JJ wasn't sure the path she'd chosen would lead her anywhere other than a wig of cobwebs. It seemed like the stands had a mind of their own and juliet's act had ended long ago. It was all eerily quiet.

"Danggit Reid, this better be worth it." She whispered to herself.

"It's not." And the floor came rushing up at her.

* * *

><p>"Go! Go! Go!" Morgan shouted as they ran inside the Hall of Mirrors for the third time, "I want her out of there now!" The stretcher guys ran past and Morgan dove in with them.<p>

It wasn't hard to find her, especially with Garcia manning the video camera's. A few qiuck turns and the hall opened up to reveal the room and JJ at the very end, her head against the glass of the misted over mirror.

"Careful about her head." Morgan said uselessly as the EMT's set the stretcher beside her.

"Uh..." One said when they couldn't pick her up. Her body was literally glued to the floor, her fist myseteriously against the mirror.

The other noticed her fist and tried to move it, but the second he touched her the room blackened and all he could see was a young man laying in a mirrored position from JJ, holding her fist tight. Behind him was a little girl slumped against the blackness, blood pooling around her like she'd been stabbed.

The man suddenly looked up and his face was iced over, and his eyes were bleeding. He was silently screaming something but the EMT couldn't hear him.

"WOAH!" He shouted and flew back.

"What? AHHH!" Morgan saw Reid's cold, clalmy, dead fist clenching JJ's and he couldn't help but scream.

* * *

><p>It was warm and sunny when JJ opened her eyes to the field she was suddenely in.<p>

Someone sat next to her, flipping something in their hand.

"Mmm... Reid?" She asked tiredly.

"Yeah?" Reid said nonchalantly.

"What... what are we doing here? Are we... you know..."

Reid smiled, "No, not yet. Sorry JJ."

JJ laughed, "Then where are we?"

"I don't know. Ive been sitting here for awhile I guess. Ever since I woke up to being on fire."

"Fire?" Shouldn't that concern JJ? Odly it made sense somehow...

"Yep." Reid nodded. "I blinked and I was sitting here with-"

"JJ!" Morgan screamed from nowhere.

"Reid?" JJ asked, sitting up and looking wildly around.

But Reid was gone... in his place was a gold coin... a rabbit in a Ring Leaders costume.

It was still warm when JJ picked it up.

Then the blackness slowly enveloped her and she sunk down to the grass again where her eyes closed and she sighed softly.

Only to gasp for air for her starved lungs as she shot up! She was on her knees in an instant and looking around wildly. What happened? Where was she?

Morgan grinned with relief. Atleast she was concious.

"What happened?" Prentiss asked, leaning down to JJ's eye level.

"Reid... Reid... Oh Reid." JJ burst into tears and collapsed into Prentiss where she began crying.

In her fist she tightly clenched the little gold medalion she'd found and was still warm, like it'd been baked by the afternoon sun.


	23. The Witch

JJ stumbled into her house at noon that day dog tired and thouroghly ticked.

How could she break down so easily infront of everyone? Especially after only passing out?

_But it had been Reid... the real Reid... He'd seemed so close... So real..._

She didn't know whether to kick herself or just stab the inside of her cheek a few hundred times while brushing. Both would be painful enough to maybe take the edge off her cringe when she thought back to earlier that morning.

"Hi Sweetheart." Will smiled, walking in and kissing her forehead. He grabbed the shoulder bag on her shoulder and slung it up onto his own. He looked at her face for the first time. He wouldn't see it, but it could have aged ten years for all he knew.

"Rough night?" He smiled, "Did you find anything?"

JJ shook her head and sat down, "We got alot closer but we didn't find _him_ Will. And before I left we learned a teenage girl went missing."

"Oh, thats too bad." Will sighed, sitting next to her.

"She was abducted by the same person. Same way. Her parents went in to wake her up for school and she was gone."

"Well, what are they gonna do?" Will asked.

"I don't know yet. They sent me home to rest. Im supposed to go back in tonight." Will nodded and took her hand in his.

"You'll find them dear. I promise."

* * *

><p>Prentiss stepped through Julie's room with a sort of reverance. It was just like when they'd been in Reid's apartment. Everything was eerily normal. The only thing upturned the bed sheets like they'd slept before leaving.<p>

"She doesn't have a reason to leave. In fact she has a reason to stay." Julie's mother croaked from the doorway, "The boy she'd been crushing on for the past couple years finally asked her to homecoming. She was so alive that day. She told me when she was standing where you are now."

Prentiss smiled sweetly at her, "We'll find her Miss. We're doing everything we can."

Julie's mom just looked solemn as she nodded. Prentiss couldn't tell if she believed her.

"So, you came home, ate a light dinner, then went to bed. When was this?" Prentiss asked.

"About one a.m."

"Did anything happen during the night that made you thought was weird?"

"Umm... she came into our room around two when she said she heard a weird thumping noise. Like someone was banging on the wall or the floor outside her door."

"How many times?"

"Twice. The first time I sent Matt to check it out. He said there was nothing. Then she came back in tears awhile later. We both checked the whole house, even outside, but there was nothing. Then I came in this morning and... she... was..." Julie's mom broke down again.

"Okay, okay." Prentiss said encouragingly.

"I... I didn't even know this was an _FBI_ case until you and your partner showed up!" she cried, wiping her eyes.

Then Prentiss thought of something. Julie had been the one to do the interactive part of the show last night.

"Umm, did she recieve anything at the Circus?"

Julie's mom stopped crying, drying into deep thought.

"She got a little gold coin- a medallion! It had a bunny in a tutu on a tightrope or walking some sort of line. She thought it was really cool."

"Okay, lets find it. Maybe we can see if the Circus has a connection."

"She ran away and joined the Circus?"

"No... maybe?"

The two women searched the teenage girl's room like mad, but came up empty.

"MATT! Search everywhere for that little coin Julie brought home!"

So the parents and the FBI all searched for the coin. But it was gone, mysteriously vanished like its owner.

"Did you get a picture?" Morgan asked breathlessly. Even for a fit guy even he had to fight for breath after supporting the middle aged man that was Julie's father.

Matt nodded, pulling out his phone and searching through the pictures.

He showed them one of Julie holding the little coin triumphantly and smiling wide.

"Wait a minute..." Prentiss muttered, looking close.

"What?" Morgan asked.

"Sir, could you send this to my phone?" Matt nodded and Prentiss gave him the number.

"Garcia, Im sending you a picture." Prentiss said over the phone a few minutes later.

"Ooh, family memories." Garcia said, sitting down in her office chair and opening her email.

"Aww, she looks so pretty." Garcia grinned.

"Yeah," Prentiss smiled, "But look behind her, near the coin. In the background."

"Ooh, a scavenger hunt." Garcia said, typing the keys on her keyboard. In the back was a pair of shining eyes attached to a old, scragled head. the head was sitting atop an old woman.

The Witch!

"Shoot." Garcia gasped. This was getting weirder and weirder.


	24. Family Will Be Together Forever

The BAU team, minus Garcia who was busy playing dissection with the photo, all sat around the briefing room, trying to think of another lead they could take.

Mr. Orbus, along with half of the Circus preformers, had disapeared that morning. Only the Circus itself and a few caravans littered around it were there standing along with the other half of the Circus suddenely just died. The coroners couldn't decide whether they were strangled or burned the marks on their neck were where hands would have held a stuggling neck, only the skin was burned and blistered.

"No extra witnesses." Rossi stated, rocking softly back and forth in his chair.

"Uh..." Prentiss looked down at the table, staring hard, "Orbus is one of the main people in this right?"

"Right."

"So... Reid's okay?" she squeaked the last word.

JJ bent down and hugged her, "Yep." Everyone else quietly looked away. Emily Prentiss having a breakdown? This must be a horror story.

"So!" Garcia burst into the room and the seriousness and profesionallness of the team returned. "I found creepy Miss Witch, but I also found something else when I ran a search on Julie's little medallion."

The Tech analyst pulled up a photo of another little gold medallion, this one stamped with a bunny clown.

"They're orriginally a trademark of the Circus of Dreams yes, but they stopped handing them out when the factory they bought them from mysteriously burned down. Also, a little fun fact." She clicked a button and three obituaries with their owners pictures sprang up. "Troy Marvin, Alex Lanign, and Micheal Smith. All collected the little medallions when the circus temporarily shut down after a fire that took out half the troupe, and all died at two a.m. October 31st, 1963. They were all found in their beds, strangled or burned. The bruises, you know, where someone would put their hands to strangle you, well they had sever third degree burns their in the shapes of hands."

Prentiss jumped a little, "Just like half the troupe from this morning!"

"Right. Anyway, Smith and Marvin's wives both said their husbands kept getting up to check to see if someone was in the house because they kept hearing thumping noises. Lanigins nurse had to sedate him because at two a.m. Lanign began screaming bloody murder but she mistook the episode for a violent nightmare. She found him dead the next day."

"So the Circus is definently connected then." Morgan nodded.

"Yep." Garcia smiled.

"We need to find Orbus or the Witch." Hotch planned, "then we dry them of all information."

"But where do we start?" Prentiss asked.

"The Caravans are all still at the sight right?" Hotch asked.

"Yes, a few." Rossi said.

"Start there Prentiss. Dave, you go with her."

The two nodded and got up for the car immediatly.

* * *

><p>Since the removal of the last few dead bodies the place had begun to smell slightly better. But the whole scene was still eerie and nerve racking. Like Death himself was hiding in the shadows.<p>

Most of the things still standing were game and food tents, the Big Top, and two or three trailers that belonged to dead Circus preformers. The rest had somehow disapeared, leaving only muddy tracks as to some clue as to what direction they started in on their flight.

"You think she'd still be here?" Prentiss asked.

"No. But who knows, we might get lucky." Rossi shrugged.

"There's no such thing as luck." Prentiss shook her head and smiled.

They walked in silence again, letting the dirt path wind here and there up and down the lot. Even without half the trailers, tents, caravans, and no people the place felt busy and crowded. Then finally, they reached the ratty old tent with the faded sign "Witch's tent" painted into the fabric somehow still bathed in shadow.

"See?" Rossi smiled, "Luck."

"Coincidence." Prentiss shot, marching inside.

"Luck!"

Inside the cramped table and chairs and bookshelves seemed more cluttered as books, toys, jewelry, and possibly more pens had migrated from the floor to the table and shelves. It also somehow smelled like old goat and burning wood, the smell of smoke infecting their nostrils.

Nailed to one bookshelf was a traditional, giant cuckoo clock. Except there was no clock face or door for the little yellow bird to fly through. Just dark oak wood with a black space running down the middle.

A space letting Prentiss believe she should probably open the doors.

Inside were tons of little one inch portraits. Some old, some new, but all connected by gold chains.

Some of the portraits were old and cracked like thye'd been painted while others had almost faded completely to white. The rest looked new, crystal clear like the person was just on the other side somehow. At the top, near the roof, was a photo of a family. A little girl being hugged by a father in a clown costume and a mother in a trapeze woman's uniform. The little girl was holding a stuffed rabbit in her lap as she wrapped her arms around her parent's arms.

Underneath her, tied to a gold chain, was a young man with a short, buisness man mustache close to becoming a handlebar mustache. He wore a top hat and a suit.

Orbus, Prentiss guessed.

Next to him was a beautiful woman in a silver leotard and her blonde hair pulled back into a large braid. The area around her face on the photo was faded but the rest was clear as day. Prentiss could atleast tell she was smiling, and very beautiful.

Under them were tons of other people, dressed in costumes, work clothes, or buisness suits. Some, arounf their face, the photo was faded in the extreme. Others looked clearer. Like, even though the picture was old, the face had been placed there just that minute. And at the very bottom were seven little medallions or pins. All had a rabbit as some sort of preformer stamped into the metal. And screwed into the wall of the little box was a plate.

**Family Will Always Be Together Forever**

Prentiss breathed, taking a medallion into her hand... then thinking about it and slipping them all into her pocket.

"That's interesting." Rossi said over her shoulder, making Prentiss jump slightly.

"What?"

"Well, how's it organized? It looks like to many even for a Circus. So obviously others were added on when they joined. But how can you tell?"

"Maybe she can tell us when she get's back."

"No." Somone croaked behind them.

There, behind them near the back of the cramped little tent, the Witch had somehow snuck in. She had the vulture resting on her shoulder, staring at them hungrily. The Witch's eyes were only filled with anger.

"Get out of my house! He may have left you but you aren't taking her family away!" The Witch snarled.

"Where is he?" Prentiss snarled back, taking an offensive stance next to Rossi who had his hand resting calmly on the holster. A silent threat.

"He's where he should be! He left a few times but I brought him back!" the Witch said triumphantly.

"Tell me where he is!" Prentiss demanded.

"NO!" The Witch took a step back, her hand shaking as she raised a fist into the air, "He's mine now! They're all mine!" Then she cackled and the Vulture took off into the air!

It began to dive down when suddenely there were three sharp cracks and he fell to the earth like a stone!

Rossi breathed deeply, reholstering his gun and taking a step out of Prentiss' way.

"YOU!" The Witch screamed, "Reggi! My baby!"

"What an ugly baby." Rossi shot.

"YOU!" the Witch screamed, pointing a gnawrled finger at the profilers, "You will all pay! HE will pay!"

Prentiss had been slowly walking closer this whole time, now she was infront of the old hag. "No." She grabbed the woman's shoulder and spun her hard, simultaniously kicking her feet out from under her so she landed hard on the dirt. "Your done here. Your coming with us." Prentiss snapped the cuffs on her and picked the old woman up, shoving her out of the tent and towards the car, not bothering to stay on the path this time.


	25. Crashed

**Haha. Sorry Rogue, but unfortunantly that wasn't a Star Wars refrence. But I suggest everyone remember "luck". It's a good thing to have when you need. **

**Also, quick pronunciation tip: maleficiis (malafeegeez)**

The Witch sat cuffed to the table, staring darkly at the black window where she probably couldn't see them, but they could see her.

And somehow, her eyes were always following Prentiss...

"Sorry I'm late Miss..." Morgan burst into the room, flashing his winning smile.

"Maleficiis." the old woman croaked.

"Nice. Old family name?"

The old woman rolled her eyes and sighed angrily. "Why am I here?"

"Because we've found connections between you and a string of kidnappings and murders Miss Malli."

"Maleficiis!"

"Anyway, we want to hear your side of the story."

"Why should you care?" Maleficiis snarled, "It's not like you've actually got a chance."

"Ah, but see," Morgan leaned across the desk, "one of the kidnapped is a federal agent. so we're not stopping till we've torn down every wall you could have hidden him behind."

"This wall is a special wall Derek." Maleficiis smiled.

"Well im special too Malli."

"Maleficiis!"

"Also, what do these mean?" Morgan through a gold medallion on the table.

"Ah." The Witch smiled, "It's one of Lyssa's coins."

"Lyssa?"

"The little girl? Your lighthaired friend knows all about her. Seeing that she tried to reach one of her puppets. Naughty woman." Maleficiis tutted before giggling quietly.

"Well why don't you tell me something about her?" Morgan asked, sitting down.

"Why?"

"Because I might call you by your proper name Malli. Because you get to go home faster. Because your helping find a federal agent and a little girl. And that's just three reasons."

"Well, then three answers." Maleficiis. "Lyssa is a little girl from the original Circus. She wants to play but only with her Circus, seeing as her father created it for his children. She can't help it she's dead." Maleficiis laughed cruelly.

"Well, where do you come into this?" Morgan asked.

"Me? I come into this in that im going to help Lyssa."

"What's your price?"

"That is for me to know only."

"So Lyssa could end up completely screwed over when your done with her then?"

"That's a fourth question Derek."

"Answer it Malli."

Maleficiis sighed, "I play by the rules Derek."

* * *

><p>JJ sat in her bedroom. Will had left for Henry's doctor appointment saying she should get more sleep.<p>

Well she did, and she'd slept way through when she was supposed to go back to the office. Maybe Will might call in for her when he finds her pretending to sleep when he gets home?

That would be nice.

JJ glanced at the clock again, it was 11:00 pm.

* * *

><p>Derek sat infront of Maleficiis again... with her smiling down on him. Had she grown a few inches in the two hours he'd left?<p>

"Well, here we are again Derek. Did Aaron force you in here again? I'm flattered he thinks me usefull information but I really must agree with you. Drive me out to the city limits and dump me on the side of the road. Ill walk back."

"Dont tempt me." Morgan snarled before opening his file. Garcia had looked a few things up for him.

Morgan threw a picture of a dark haired little girl in a lacy white summer dress smiling up at the camera. Then a picture of the seven gold coins, and finally a picture of a dark haired middle aged man.

"Lyssa, the coins the Circus sold, and her father. The founder of the Circus of Dreams." Morgan then through another picture infront of Maleficiis, "And that ones a shot of everyone working that Circus." There was a red circle drawn on it, right where Maleficiis stood hunched over. "Now what I dont get Malli, is that this was what? 50 years ago? How can you be an old woman now, and then?"

"How dare you Morgan, asking a woman about her age and looks."

"Whatever. Anyway, your here and there. You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think you killed everyone in that fire that burned it down. And now your finally feeling guilty over the whole thing so you started kidnapping people to replace the ones you fine toasted. Now where are you keeping them?"

Maleficiis stared at Morgan open mouthed.

"That's just silly dear."

"I dont think so Malli. This picture was taken October 21st, 1952. A week later the whole Circus died in a fire. Everyone dead. Except you." Morgan slammed a fifth picture infront of Maleficiis. It was a burned and completely destroyed tiny body. They were screaming and one burned arm was reaching out towards the camera.

"This is the little girl you burned." Morgan's voice dripping in dangerous anger, "They found her dead, burned alive by a fire that trapped her in her families tent while you were off 'getting help' aways away from the whole scene! Why? You killed an innocent little girl and are now kidnapping people in her name. Why?"

Maleficiis stared at the picture a long time, her face twisting in pure anger, "Derek, I did no such-"

"BS woman!" Derek Morgan screamed, banging his hands on the metal table. "Now you tell me where my friend is! I know you know!"

"Morgan." Hotch opened the door, hoping he was masking his apprehension. Morgan was on less than twenty minutes sleep. He might do anything.

Morgan left the room and Hotch turned to Maleficiis before he closed the door.

"And just so you know, now that we've uncovered this piece of your history, and you not saying much, we now have some cause to hold you here alittle longer."

The look on the old hag's face was enough to satisfy Hotch's irratation for now.

* * *

><p>JJ had fallem asleep again, long enough for Will to come home and call in for her. Then, since Henry was teething and from the looks on his face the plastic ring wouldn't last much longer, he'd picked the small child up and taken him to the guest house in their backyard.<p>

JJ still had the medallion in her hand. She'd come in straight from the kitchen this morning and crashed right on the bed, gun on and everything.

The clock struck 2:00 and JJ woke to a_ thump _behind her.


	26. Preference

**Geez, no reviews? Im hurt!**

**Anyway, was completely humiliated today by a "friend" so i thought i'd take my mind off it by updating a little (honestly, how can i still call them that?) just cause im not good at speaking infront of groups... anyway, what do you guys care? you came for Spencer right? :p :'(**

**Anyway, heres 26! I'd really appreciated a review or two! =^-^=**

JJ whirled around, gun unholstered and a death grip on the handle, hoping Will would forgive her when she pointed the gun at his temple.

Except where Will should have been was empty air. In the dark, it looked like there was nothing there.

"Knock it off wherever you are!" JJ snarled, "My husbands gonna hear you and he's not afraid to put people in a choke hold that could actually snap their neck! I should know, I tried to teach him the proper way."

She was mostly speaking to calm herself down. Just listen to the human voice, nice, normal, normalicy.

Then she saw something white with several burns swipe out from under the bed skirt!

"HEY!" she screamed, jumping to the ground and squatting down to look.

Will could hear her scream from the house. Without thinking, he put Henry down in his playpen and shot towards the mian house, a gun he'd hidden in the guest house firmly clamped in his hand.

"Hey!" Will screamed, kicking down the door and taking careful aim in the darkness. It wouldn't do to shoot his wife since he was here to protect her.

Course, there's nothing you can do when your wife is pinned to the floor by a disfigured thing, screaming her head off as the place where it has its hand is burning her skin!

"JJ!" The figure whirled around, staring at him through alien like eyes, cold and shining and perfectly visible in the dark. Will pressed on, though every part of his body screamed to run.

"Will!" JJ screamed, then gave a shrill cry of pain and he could see tears streaking her face in the moonlight.

_"Give it back!"_ It hissed, turning back to JJ. _"Give back what's mine!"_

Yellow flame appeared out of the air and suddenely JJ was enveloped in a tunnel of flame.

"WILL!" JJ screamed before her body turned to ash and she disapeared.

* * *

><p>"Okay, okay." Hotch said through the phone, driving like mad one handed, Morgan in the passenger seat talking to the rest of the team.<p>

Will was close to hysterical, calling Hotch and rambling about a black thing showing up and burning JJ up. Hotch couldn't make sense of it but obviously something had happened. Now the whole team was running out of their apartments, hopefully remembering to change into work clothes, to come see what had happened to their disapeared JJ.

Inside the bedroom Hotch could smell burned wood and human flesh. But there was nothing, not even a scorch mark on the floor.

"Why would Lyssa snatch JJ?" Hotch asked aloud.

"Maybe she had a coin?" Morgan answered, walking in after getting off the phone.

"What?" (**A.n.: Eh? Eh? Anyone wanna review _right now_ and guess what the coins mean? ((sad Alitote, trying to get more reviews by dangling important story pieces in front of them)) anyway, the coins are really important, more important than im gonna be able to fit into this chpater! whoo hoo! go evolving plot lines ((okay okay, i get it, back to the story)))**

"Yeah, Maleficiis mentioned them before remember? Well I uh... went back in after you left and asked a few more questions Garcia helped cook up and she answered all of them."

"What did you tell her in return?" Hotch raised an eyebrow.

"Umm..." Morgan screwed his face up, pretneding to think but Hotch could see his face begining to glow red, "My birthday, my mom's first name, my dad's name, and uh... my choice of underwear."

"She wanted to know that?" Hotch struggled not to laugh.

Morgan hung his head low, "And my preferance of women."

"Maybe your 'manly charm' needs some limits." Hotch laughed, walking out.

**Sorry its a little short but i wanna post and i have to go eat fried chicken now.**


	27. Dreams

**Thank you LastBloom for reviewing and you shouldn't be sorry about her (evil laugh) uhh... I mean onto 27! (dramatic flying seen as i fly off to said chapter... Rogue makes a guest cameo (("Ughh... so dramatic" (facepalms))))**

**Oh, and the chicken was delicious TheUntitled... hahaha**

Will sat with Henry. The small child had not stopped crying since Will had returned holding his gun. It was like Henry knew something was wrong.

"Shh Henry, shh." Will soothed, rubbing the sobbing child's back, placing a kiss on his forhead.

Where was his wife? What happened to her? Was she okay?

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere not in existence...<strong>

It was dark and cold. JJ could see her breath in the non existing light that seemed to glow from every corner near the floor in this room of mirrors! Twisted and crazy turns coming together to form an awkward pen encloising her!

"Reid?" JJ whispered when she saw a shadow pass through the mirrors. A tall, slender shadow. Maybe she'd be lucky...

JJ stood up and ran towards the shadow, to the other side of the room. Then she walked along side it, like it'd slowed down when she caught up. Then it became bigger, filling out a form of a young woman about JJ's height and size. Then the shadow became a person, or well... a corpse. The skin was white and covered with burn scars and her dark hair was seared off in places and just burned in others. The left side of her face was ripped and burned almost to the point of not being a face at all. Her eyes where a dull glassy blue that looked dead.

She smiled at JJ, something gruesome if not comforting in of itself, and held a finger up to her ruined lips.

_"Shh! No matter what, Shh!"_ Then she dissapated into a mist and left JJ's sight.

"What?" JJ whispered.

"Have you come to play with me?" someone said behind her.

* * *

><p>Reid was asleep, fast asleep. He'd felt like he was in some sort of dream for a long time. Longer than he cared to remember really.<p>

It was all a blur... a kalidoscope type blur where he mostly just saw random colors fly by. He might have been laying down somewhere and watching a psycedelic sky... or something? He was confused even now.

The only times he'd "woken up" (and even then he didn't understand) were when he'd actually fallen asleep and dreamt horrible nightmares! The first was when he thought Morgan was getting attacked by that weird little girl who'd pulled him in the mirror. Then he got lost for awhile. Until he found Prentiss... and that weird man who'd grabbed him in the mirror room. Something told him to get Prentiss away from him. But instead she'd pointed her gun at him. Then the man attacked her. Reid hated that dream, he was still afraid he might have it again. The only good part was when he'd socked the weird man. But then he had to go...

Reid almost cried when he woke up from that one. This was all a weird dream... Maybe he was in the hospital? Had the Schizophrenia finally claimed him? Did something happen when he was asleep at home? Why was he like this?

It was all confusing. This whole place was messing with him. He'd thought it was because of that pin The Witch had given him. But he gave it to JJ when he dreamt her next to him. And then it'd disapeared when he woke up from that one.

So why was it easier to believe something was wrong? That the reason he was like this was because of that weird girl?

Reid took a shuttering breath and closed his eyes again, his dull, glassy, brown eyes that looked more like glass than actual eyes. Then he frowned because he had another strange dream.

* * *

><p>JJ turned around to stare at a little blonde girl who looked maybe eight years old with pigtails and wearing a purple and black striped dress. She sat inside the mirror surrounded by toys and books.<p>

JJ opened her mouth to say something, then remembered the burned woman and shut her mouth quickly.

"Well? What toy will you be?"

JJ backed against the opposite mirror, feeling the cool glass against her finger tips.

"Answer me!" Lyssa snarled, making the whole room shake.

"I'm Lyssa." JJ said in a quivering voice.

"LIAR!" Lyssa screamed, making the room shake harder.

"I'M NOT A TOY! I'M A PERSON!" JJ screamed, falling to the ground from the room's earthquake.

JJ looked up to see Lyssa standing overher, holding a Ringmaster bunny in her left hand.

Lyssa squatted down and took JJ's jaw into a firm grip, "Oh, your a person allright. Which makes you my toy."

* * *

><p>Reid stared groggily out what he believed to be a window. A floor to ceiling window connecting to other windows looking in on a room with nothing in it but JJ and Lyssa. Was it a dream? It seemed amazingly real! Reid rubbed the glass furiously when his breath fogged it up, it was so cold!<p>

* * *

><p>JJ was scared, scared out of her mind.<p>

So she almost laughed out loud when she had enough courage to look away and notice somehting fog up the glass. Then scream when she say Orbus staring in on her.

"Who are you?" Lyssa snarled again, jerking JJ's face to look at hers.

* * *

><p>JJ must have noticed him. It would be the only explanation for why she kept looking in his direction even though Lyssas shook her jaw like crazy every time she looked away.<p>

Reid got an idea, he breathed really hard on the glass and started writing. Then he knocked gently.

* * *

><p>Even Lyssa looked when someone tapped on the glass. And on one of the mirrors, written for everyone to see, were the big, trembling letters making her more furious than ever. So much so she forgot about JJ.<p>

_Reid says hello..._ Jumped out at both of them, and then Reid cleared the message away with his arm and waved at the two of them, half smiling.

"WHY CAN'T YOU STAY ASLEEP?" Lyssa screamed.

"IS THAT REALLY YOU?" JJ wailed, wincing as Lyssa threw her out of her grip.

Lyssa ran towards the window, raising a fist high.

"When Im done with you even Orbus will feel it!"

"Not a chance Lyssa." JJ said in her most scaariest, calmest voice ever as she grabbed a pigtail and yanked down hard. Lyssa fell to the concrete where she began kicking. Managing to actually nick the mirror intended and shatter it on contact.

Reid stood there, dressed in a T-shirt and pajama bottoms, a little surprised by the disapearance of the mirror. But he smiled and hugged JJ when she ran through and clobbered him, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"I think this is the best dream Ive had yet." Reid whispered to her.


	28. I Dont Know

**Its almost Halloween! perfect time to write this story! MooHahaha!**

"Reid?" JJ asked, remembering her situation.

"Yeah?" Reid asked, backing up as he spoke, Lyssa was coming closer.

"Where are we?"

"I really don't know." And then he did what he did last time Lyssa came at him with that much psycotic bloodlust: He fell back onto the floor.

"Oomf!" He gasped when he hit the warm, grassy earth since this time he had a friend huging him.

JJ breathed hard, her heart beating a million a minute. She closed her eyes tighter in anticipation of her eminent death! She was like stone, only moving her arm to get the random hair strands away from tickling her nostrils as they blew in the... wind?

JJ opened her eyes and looked around...

It was a grassy field with long grass bending and waving in the wind. They were in a field!

JJ remembered vaguely the dream she'd had last night, lying next to Reid in the same field. She quickly rolled off of him onto the ground.

"Sorry," She said awkwardly.

"It's fine." Reid shrugged, hiding his face as he turned a little red. Then he turned back only to find her crying as she clobbered him in another tight hug.

"Where the hell have you been Spencer Reid?" She whispered.

"Here." he said a little dazed. And not from the sudden display of emotion, because he suddenly felt... floaty?

"Where's here?" JJ asked looking him in the eye.

"I... don't... know." Reid realized. Idiot! He should have explored a little! Done something! If only to provide a better answer than that!

"Well," JJ stood up, "Let's find out." She turned and offered her hand, which Spencer immediatly took.

**Sorry its short but again, settin up for that impact moment!**


	29. Ivona

**haha sorry RogueKraytDragon! I promise, this one is longer :)**

JJ was sure they'd been walking for hours. The endless walking through this field was begining to hurt her feet.

"So Reid," She said, trying to distract herself from how annoyingly tedious this walk was getting, "What _have_ you been doing here all this time?"

Reid was walking behind her. She was amazed, he looked healthy and tan, like he hadn't aged a day. While the rest of them had aged a decade in a year from their frantic searching. He looked confused for a second, then shrugged.

"I woke up here and fell asleep."

"You spent all this time asleep?" JJ asked incrediously, pausing a second to stare at him, search his face for sincerity. It was all she found.

"Yeah." Reid said, pulling ahead of her.

"For a whole year?" JJ shouted to catch up.

Reid stopped in his tracks at that. Had it really been a year?

"I... guess?" Reid took a wary step. The news was disorienting to him. How could it have been a whole year?

"You disapeared a year ago from Monday last week." JJ said, "We've been searching like mad ever since."

"Well, you found me." Reid shrugged, "Thats insane though. I remember our trip to the Circus like it was yesterday. Wasn't it yesterday?"

"No." JJ looked him in the eye, "The Circus of Dreams abducted you."

"Wouldn't I have remembered that?" Reid asked, hoping this hole in her story would save his sanity.

"Do you? What's the last thing you remember before waking up here?" JJ grabbed his arm as he thought, not wanting to lose time. The sooner they got out of here, the better.

"I was... in my apartment... and... JJ its a blur!" Reid cried in frustrastion, rubbing his forehead angrily.

JJ looked around. They needed out. Now.

* * *

><p>Hotch was ready to take a leaf out of Morgans book and throw something at the wall... or maybe assualt a door. He'd see which one came first. Probably both.<p>

They'd searched for two days now and JJ was as gone as Reid. There was no sign of her.

And Maleficiis was absolutely no help. When Prentiss had asked her about it she'd just laughed and giggled like a madwoman. Then she'd played dumb. But it was obvious she knew what was going on.

Morgan was in there now, growing angrier with every passing second.

"You know _something_! Anything! We'll even take a hint!" Morgan cried.

Lunch had been brought in; Mcdonalds Cheesburger combos.

Maleficiis sat stirring a fry through her yogurt parfait thoughtfully.

"Have you ever tried the fries dipped in yogurt? It's good." She said dreamily.

Morgan slammed his fist on the table! "Talk you senile old woman or I have you sent to the worst old folks home I can find!"

"Now, now Derek. There's no need for that." Maleficiis smiled.

"How do you know that?" Morgan asked.

"Pardon?"

"My name. My first name. How do you know it?" Morgan snarled.

"Oh well. Maybe I do have Spencer. He's told me so many things. Quite a sweet little boy if you ask me."

Morgan's stony expression emmited a growl.

"Or maybe I read the papers huh?"

"What else has he told you?" Morgan asked.

"That he finds Lyssa tragic."

"What?"

"The little girl lighting people on fire? He finds her tragic. I have to agree with the boy." Maleficiis ate the fry and selected another, stirring the yogurt. "Poor girl. Had quite the home now didn't she? Her parents couldn't keep track of her every second and well... boys will be boys." She smiled cruelly at the thought and ate the fry. Morgan felt his gag reflex activate before he had control of himself again.

"Must, as you children say, 'Suck', when your worst fear lives only a few caravans away huh?" Maleficiis giggled.

"Your sick." Morgan snarled.

"Or old. But who cares? Anyway, despite that little adventure of hers. She loses her favorite toy in the fire... not to mention everything else!" Maleficiis laughed outright, popping a handful of fries in her mouth.

"What's the girls name?" He had to find out, had to find out before he lost it.

"Lyssa. do you need a hearing aid? I said a couple fifty hundred times."

"Her _full_ name. Alyssa? Elizabeth? What?"

"The former's your prize. Now go away, Im eating." Maleficiis shooed him out the door.

Derek got up to leave, but stopped when he was in the doorway.

"We will find them. And then were putting you were no one will ever be touched by you again."

"Then who will play with the little girl when she gets lonely. She's a special girl young man. One who needs a playmate."

"There are plenty where she's gonna go."

"But does she deserve that place Derek?"

Derek slammed the door, refusing to give an answer.

* * *

><p>Rossi and Prentiss stepped into the musty room. Prentiss was sure this could work... or atleast she hoped.<p>

"Are you sure about this?" asked the less sure Rossi.

"Yeah." Prentiss said, maintaining her front, "And it's free. The chicks an old school friend of mine." She barged into the room, going passed the hanging beads curtains and heading into the center room.

A crystal ball sat in the middle, ontop of a wire wicker table painted black. A green wire lawn chair sat beside it. A row of five black wood chairs with high backs and arm rests sat along a brick wall, a gold bar, like the ones you would find in a ballerina studio, seperated them from the rest of the room. The rest of the walls were covered in newspaper articles and photos of assorted tradgedies and missing people posters. Smiling three and five year olds hung next to articles on plane crashes and murder cases.

A doorway on the other side of the room was dark, but you could hear voices through it... like there was someone chanting beyond the open doorway.

"Ivona?" Prentiss called, seating herself and Rossi in one of the five chairs barred from the rest of the room.

"Woo as called?" Someone said in an exotic and incredibly thick accent. A young woman with a mane of frizzy black hair streaked with red and hot pink stepped through the doorway. Her skin was pale and her eyes, lips, and nails were caked in thick black makeup and polish. Her clothes were thick black material and the dress was ripped the farther you went down her legs. So by the time you reached mid-shin it was just ragged material. Fishnets layered her legs and arms and chunky silver and black bracelets crowded her wrists. multiple rings, each with a different symbol and-or gem set in each. Her chunky black high-heeled sandals carried her as she crossed the room, bowing to Rossi and wrapping Prentiss in a tight bear hug.

"You can drop the accent." Prenitss smiled.

"Fine." Ivona smiled, speaking in a regular voice, "you're here for that free reading right?"

Prentiss nodded and sat down, but Rossi stood up.

"Wait," he leaned on the bar, "how do I know your for real? Why the bar?"

"To keep me legit. You know those old tricks of my kind. Going through your bags while your eyes are closed, trying to get a clue on the next one were about to con. Well, this way its hard to argue what you've seen is real or not. So sit back, keep your eyes open, and watch." Ivona sat in the green wire chair and placed her hands to a chunky diamond heart necklace on her neck.

"What is she doing?" Rossi asked.

"Trying to feel for the spirit world. It helps her concentrate to hold that necklace. It's like her good luck charm." Prentiss said, digging through her bag for something. She came out with a pair of mismatched socks.

"Ivona?" Prentiss leaned over the bar, holding the pink and green socks out. "Sorry, but its kind of a hurried thing. We need to find him fast."

Ivona nodded and crossed the room to take the socks. Then she sat back down, holding the socks to her necklace.

"Spencer." Ivona called gently, "Spencer are you there?"

Ivona gasped and went stiff. Before her body relaxed and she let out a long sigh.

"I think I've made contact Em." Ivona said in between labored breathes, "but its hard to see. Somethings surrounding the soul."

"What?"

"I think... a real ghost."

"A real ghost?" Rossi asked skeptically.

"Spencer's not a ghost. If he was this would be alot easier. He's tethered to the earthly plain somehow, but thing thing Im fighting to get to him is a real gh- oh dear. Oh, that's so sad!" Ivona wiped a tear from her still closed eye, careful not to smudge her makeup.

"What?" the FBI agents asked together.

"Tell you in a second. I've made contact!" Ivona held the socks tighter and took a few labored breathes. "Spencer? Spencer can you answer me?"

It was deadly quiet for a second. Then Ivona opened an eye.

"He's asking who I am." She closed her eye again, "Spencer Im a friend of Prentiss'! They've asked me to help find you. Do you know where you are?"

She opened both eyes.

"He want's me to prove it."

"Ask him about the time he started taking diladid, ask if he remembers how he treated me." Prentiss said immeadiatly.

"Are you sure? Sometimes you say the wrong thing and they want to leave. I can't get him back if he doesn't wanna be found."

"Just do it."

Ivona shrugged and relayed the message. It was quiet for a few minutes. Then Ivona nodded and turned back to the FBI agents.

"He says he doesn't know where he is but JJ is there with him. He still shocked its been a year! He says he just woke up for the third time in what feels like minutes since he fell asleep."

Rossi and Prentiss looked at eachother, but looked back when Ivona shook her head.

"Spencer," She said in a commanding voice, "Tell us everything you know so we might locate you!"

* * *

><p>Reid and JJ had stopped to sit while Reid talked to this "Ivona" person. Reid sat with his eyes closed, talking to, what looked like to JJ, nothing. He'd pause, then supply an answer.<p>

"Okay." He said after a particularly long time. "It's really hard though since its kinda blurred around the time I left my apartment and when I got here."

Reid took a deep breath and started, "There's this little ghost girl in the mirror named Lyssa. She's the one in control although I see this old hag pass through where I am now and again talking to her."

"Lyssa shows up around here?" JJ asked. Reid nodded and kept going.

"They sometimes try to talk to me but I always run away. When I look back theyre not there anymore."

Reid heard a small whispering in his head, Ivona must be asking him something.

_"What does the Hag look like?"_

She's really old and her hands are gnawreled. She wears this black cloak and lets her gray hair straggle everywhere. She only smiles when Lyssa is around. Thats the only time she talks in a human voice to. The rest of the time she sounds like that pet vulture of hers."

JJ hugged her knees to her chest. This place was wrm and comfy and all, but thinking about the Witch made a cold shiver run down JJ's back.

"She caught me once, now that I think about it, and when she touched me it was like her skin burned me. She shrieked and disapeared into the ground only to pop up a hundred yards away and start screaming something."

JJ looked down at Reid's forearm now, there _was_ a burn mark in the shape of a handprint.

"She's always creeping around me, and smiling when she gets closer. It's really creepy."

A shadow engulfed JJ, and a horrible, cracking voice slithered into her ears.

"Am I really so terrible?" Maleficiis asked, coming closer.

**So... yeah. I spent alot of time writing this one. I guess i've made Rogue scream enough for a longer chapter :)**


	30. I Think So

**Well Im glad you like it. And yes, maybe. This one might have been to.**

JJ stopped breathing.

the Witch was standing behind her, talking normally.

Shouldn't that mean Lyssa was nearby?

True to Reid's word, the little girl enveloped JJ in a bear hug, giggling in her ear.

"What puppet do you wanna be?" Lyssa asked breathlessly, "I have lots and lots of puppets!"

JJ stiffened then scrambled out of the little girls embrace.

Reid had opened his eyes and was now following JJ as they began to run away from the two.

"Hurry! They give up eventually!" Reid huffed as he sprinted away with JJ.

"Can they give up now?" JJ screamed.

Soemthing inhuman screamed behind them and the whole field shuddered.

JJ looked back to see the thing that had been in her room tackle Reid, pinning him to the ground while it laughed in his screaming face.

* * *

><p>Ivona whinced and held her temple.<p>

"Ivona?" Prentiss asked, slowly standing.

"It's nothing." Ivona waved her off, "Whatevers keping Spencer's soul... there detected me. It's trying to break the connection!"

Ivona gave a shout of pain and screamed before going limp and slumping to the floor!

"IVONA!" Prentiss cried, hopping over the bar and running to her.

When she grabbed Ivona's shoulder it was like Prentiss had been electrocuted. Rossi saw her tremble violently and little electric surges appear for a few seconds in different places around her body. Prentiss fell next to her friend where she lay there shaking violently.

"EMILY!" Rossi screamed, about to follow suit.

"DONT TOUCH HER!" Ivona screamed, struggling to get up. "Don't... touch... her." She breathed.

"But I need to-"

"What you _need_ agent is to take a few steps back!"

* * *

><p>Reid kept trying to avoid the burned and horribly destroyed little girl.<p>

But she kept inching her face closer and closer. Until her head rested on his chest.

"Who are you talking to huh?" she asked, "Someone important?"

She clawed into Reid's side, securing him to her so he couldn't get away.

"Can I talk too?"

* * *

><p>Prentiss laid there for what felt like forever. Then she moved a little. Her hair covered her face as she sat up on her elbows.<p>

"Oh thank gosh! Prentiss your alive!" Rossi cried rushing over.

"WAIT!" Ivona held her head and limped a little but she still managed to get inbetween the two agents. "Don't touch her Rossi. Something's wrong."

"What?"

"Is that your name?" Prentiss asked in an inhumanly sweet little voice. She giggled a little and when she looked up, her eyes were wide with insanity. Her face had contorted into some sort of demonic smile!

"Oh no." Ivona whimpered, "Oh no." she backed into Rossi, pushing him back. "Get behind the bar! Get behind the bar _now!_"

Rossi didn't have to be told twice. The second after he got behind the bar Prentiss managed to stand up.

"Where did he go?" She laughed, taking a step, "Did he not want to play?"

"no. And neither do I. Where's Spencer?"

Suddenely Prentiss demonic face grew angry, it was one of the few most horrifying things either of the other two had ever seen!

"HE'S MY PUPPET TO PLAY WITH! MINE! YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM!" Prentiss screamed throwing her fists around in the middle of a tempurtantrum. The room began to shake and the lights began flickering. Books and knick knacks fell off shelves in the rooms outside this one.

Rossi struggled not to fall while Ivona took a step forward.

"I understand now." she whispered to herself.

* * *

><p>JJ did the first thing that came to her mid: kick the thing lying ontop of her friend until it let go.<p>

It screeched when JJ's foot made contact with its side but it held on.

Reid's eyes had turned a hollow black, and his skin was turning pale. He mumbled something in a faint whisper.

"No... he's my puppet to play with... Mine!... you can't... have him."

Finally JJ's kick to the thing's ribs made it loosen its grip. JJ leaned down and checked Reid's pulse. Then she grabbed his shoulders and started shaking him.

"Reid! Reid come on! Come back! REID!"

* * *

><p>Ivona had a hand around Prentiss' wrist. The other was clamped firmly to the top of her head.<p>

"Leave my friend! Leave my friend! LEAVE MY FRIEND!" she screamed over and over until finally Prentiss stopped screaming.

Instead she gave a cry of pain and held her side, then she fell to the floor.

"Reid!" She screamed in another woman's voice, "Reid come on! Come back! Reid!"

"JJ!" Ivona screamed, holding Prentiss' hand, "You have to let go! Get off of Reid!"

Then there was silence. Then Prentiss passed out, a sigh escaping her lips as she crumpled to the ground. She didn't get up again.

"Atleast that demonic smile is gone." Rossi said shakily. "I dont think _anyone_ would have let her back in to headquarters with it."

"Shutup Rossi." Prentiss and Ivona groaned together.

As soon as the black spots cleared from her vision, Prentiss turned to Ivona.

"What was all that?"

Ivona didn't make eye contact.

"It was Lyssa, fueled by an evil spirit. Although I'm guessing that last part was your friend JJ trying to get her away. Don't get ad at her for that." Ivona half-smiled, finally looking at Prentiss.

"So... where are they?" Prentiss asked, standing up, but needing to pause to get her bearing, leaning against the black wire table.

"I'm guessing the veil."

"The what?" Rossi asked, judging it was safe to venture past the gold bar and walking to Prentiss.

As he placed one of her arms on his shoulder Ivona grabbed two thick books from the next room.

"The veil," she walked over to the table and moved the crystal ball onto the floor. Then she raised the books a few feet from the surface of the table and placed the ends together, "Is the thing seperating the physical world," she motioned her head at the table, "From the _beyond!_"

Rossi stared skeptically while Prentiss rested her head on his chest, staring intently.

"There are cracks in the veil though." She pulled the ends of the books apart, "Otherwise our spirits couldn't reach our physical bodies when were born, or we couldn't, you know, enter the light when we die. But sometimes spirits slip back through the cracks. Or miss the cracks all together for some reason. Then they have two, well _three_ options: a) stay on the veil and try to find a crack. Or b) return to earth and try to find out why your not in Heaven yet."

"And the third?"

"Become an evil spirit. I don't know how it works but based on my experience and findings, those are the three things you can do. I dont know how it works, thats just the three results."

"So, to go past the cracks would mean your dead?"

"Yeah. Anywhere near the cracks means your dead though." Ivona's voice got very small.

"So..." Prentiss swallowed hard.

"I think so."


	31. She's Not There

**Okay Rogue, maybe Insidious _did_ a little. Especially with the Prentiss getting possesed part...**

**anyway yeah, great tip for anyone writing something creepy: inspiration comes when its dark, and theres lots of candy! =^-^=**

JJ stared hard at the "sky". It was tie-dye multicolor. Swirls of reds and greens and blues. It was kind of hypnotizing.

"So, are we dead Reid?" JJ asked.

"I don't know. But I don't really wanna find out now." Reid said, tearing his eyes away to look at a crying JJ. "Hey, com on. Don't be like that. We'll be okay." He threw an arm around her, pulling her close.

JJ nodded, looking at the ground.

"We need to find a way out of here. We need to help the others Reid."

"I know."

* * *

><p>Rossi had just returned to the BAU room after driving Prentiss home so she could sleep her "little adventure", as Ivona had called it, off. He found it weird when they were leaving though. She'd been a good hostess and all up until the very end. She practically shoved them out the door and when he'd looked back through her winddow, he saw her sitting with her crystal ball, talking very fast to it.<p>

He'd been on the phone explaining everything he and Prentiss had learned and recounting the experience with the whole team on speaker.

When he walked in he'd expected a whole team of male nurses with nets and tranquilizers ready but instead he found a busy work place.

Garcia and Morgan were busy pinning up photo's of a little blonde girl, a circus, and a group photo with a dozn different people.

"Is that Lyssa?" He asked, gesturing to the photo of the little blonde girl in sunday best holding a rabbit.

"Yep." Garcia nodded, her voice thick, "That's the photo they used for her obituary. It was one of the few that survived the fire that killed everyone."

"So, what's the story?" Rossi asked taking a seat.

"Nine year old Alyssa Goldbourne was playing near her family's caravan in July 19th, 1932. The one witness account said she ran inside after hearing her mother call her inside the caravan. The fire wiped the whole circus out ten minutes later."

"How do you not notice something like that kind of fire burning your whole life away?" Morgan asked, pinning a close up of a young slender man in a top hat and a green and gold tux.

"The fire only lasted a half hour, from the time it started to the time it took out the entire place. It was about the size of a regular elementary school! Playgrounds and parking lots included! And probably the next street over!" Garcia said, flipping through her laptop windows trying to find something. "But the weirder thing is, Alyssa Goldebourne's mother Tiffany was found on the outer grounds farthest from her caravan along with her husband Richard and the Ringmaster, Mr. David Lionel Orbus. Autopsy says they'd been dead about ten minutes before the fire. Tiffany couldn't hae called Alyssa into the caravan cause she was busy dying!"

"So who called her in?"

"They don't know."

Rossi stared at the group picture, only half listening. The group included clowns, trapeze artists, animals and their tamers, staff wearing black and yellow shirts, Orbus near the middle with the Gouldbournes next to him. Tiffany and Richard standing next to him, Richard holding Lyssa. She was holding the white stuffed bunny in the Ringmaster costume.

There was no Maleficiis anywhere in the photo.

* * *

><p>JJ stood up, forcing Reid to stand up next to her.<p>

"Where gonna do what that lady did." she said.

"Tackle me?"

"No! The one Prentiss sent. Tell me, what happened when she made contact?"

Reid thought back.

"It was like being hugged really tightly. But not by a man, like your mom was hugging you. Which makes sense, she was a woman after all." JJ nodded, hinting at him to hurry, "Anyway, I saw these... purple? Yeah, purple spots and then I had to sit down. I was to tired to move."

"Okay, what about when you closed your eyes?"

"Oh! It was weird, like a giant multicolored maze. A stone maze I was looking down on from a birds eye view. And then it changed to Lyssa's face." Reid shuddered, "The really gross face. She was laughing and screaming at the same time. Then I saw some goth with frizzy black hair for a second before she started talking and I ended up back here."

JJ was silent, "So we have no idea how to get out of this field except to keep walking."

"Yep. And that aint working." Reid said unhelpfully.

JJ gently smacked him and sat down, staring at the sky.

It was all swirling in different directions, intertwining and locking together against a black backdrop.

"Like a maze..." JJ said. **(haha sorry. Cheesy i know)**

"What?" Reid asked.

"Look at the sky! That's what you were doing before I got here right? Watching the sky?"

"Yeah, and falling asleep because of it."

"Maybe its like a hypnosis thing! Maybe were not really here! Maybe thats our door out!"

"Of course!" Reid exclaimed! "This makes sense!"

"Really?" JJ asked.

"No, but Im desperate enough to try anything to get out of here." Reid addmitted.

So they jumped onto the grass field and stared at the sky in silence.

* * *

><p>Morgan calmly opened the door to Maleficiis cell. They'd moved her into one once they'd secured enough proof to tie her to the case. Most of it was her own statments they had recorded on tape.<p>

"Hello Derek. Ready to talk somemore?" Maleficiis smiled.

Morgan stared at her through the bars, holding the group photo out to her.

"You aren't in here. Why? You where in the other one."

Maleficiis grew stonily quiet.

"Where did you go before you got this picture?"

"Me?" Derek laughed, "No where. Now my friends, they went somewhere allright." He let out a giggle, hoping to unsettle her.

"Where?" Maleficiis asked acidly.

"A place." Maleficiis growled, "With a very special woman who made contact with our missing friend. She reached Reid I guess. And JJ to. They were happy to talk."

"Well this 'place' is a very dangerous place. Maybe you should leave them there for their own good."

"And maybe you can go to hell." Morgan said in the most pleasant tone he could muster.

"Your friends are cursed Derek. Cursed in ways you do not understand. They are doomed."

"Why? Because you say so?"

"Yes."

"Why aren't you in that picture?"

"I never was."

"What?"

Just then, a beat cop came running through the door.

"Agent Morgan sir, we've just tracked down Orbus again and we need everyone if we're going to make a successful arrest!"

Morgan had taken back the photo by then so they could walk out after the cop said this.

"Creepy old woman huh?" the young cop said.

Morgan grunted in agreement.

"I thought you guys squeezed everything out of her though."

"We did. Until this photo came up." Morgan held it up for the cop to see. The cop took it to view, scanning the photo.

"What's so important?"

"She's not in it, and she was before." Morgan pointed to a spot off to the left. "She's supposed to be inbetween the fire breather and the animal tamer there."

"But she is."

"What?" Morgan turned to look at him.

"She is, right there, inbetween the fire eater and the animal tamer. She's smiling right at the camera."

Morgan took the picture back. She wasn't there.


	32. Careful Agent

"Guys," Morgan walked into the room, a little shaken.

"What?"

"We're crazy!" Morgan threw his hands up in the air!

Hotch looked over at Garcia, who shot her the spinning finger twirling around her ear. _Crazy!_

"I'm serious!" Morgan thrust the picture at Hotch, "Do you see Maleficiis anywhere in this picture?"

Hotch studied the black and white photo for a second, "No."

"Well the whole police force does! The new detective were working with does to!" Morgan cried, he threw the picture on the table.

He didn't see Garcia pick it up.

"How can we not see her? She's in such an obvious place and she's so... _exotic,_ its hard to miss her!" Morgan cried.

"Where was she baby?" Garcia asked, studying the picture.

"In between the fire eater and the animal tamer." Morgan said tiredly, sitting down and sipping at his warm coffee. He'd have to fix that at some point.

"Umm... My Chocolate Adonis, she _is_ there." Garcia said.

* * *

><p>Hours had passed and the whole team, minus a still snoring Prentiss, had been arguing over the photo. Everyone minus the team could see Maleficiis standing in the picture, smiling. But somehow Garcia could see her too.<p>

"This doesn't make sense!" Hotch finally stated unhelpfully.

"I know." Rossi agreed, "Why not go away from it for a moment? We need to focus; how do we secure Orbus?"

Orbus had been sighted near a shopping mall by passers by and street surveilance video. It was obvious the team was going to need to ask him questions. But ever since he'd disapeared at the Hall of Mirrors it was like he'd disapeared off the face of the earth.

Garcia pulled up a map of the mall they had sighted him at. A few beat cops in street clothes were standing around nearby him, watching. They reported in if he so much as scratched his nose!

"He's been seen near the west entrance, and he's just stood there. Like he's waiting for someone. But everytime someone gets near him he hightails it to another spot near the west entrance." Garcia said as the screen zoomed in on the west entrance and little red dots popped up at where he'd been.

"Cops say their ready, they just need the go ahead." Garcia finished.

"Do it." Hotch said.

"Wait!" Rossi interrupted, "We need something to grab his attention, distract him from the other coppers."

"We need Prentiss." Garcia said suddenly.

"What?"

"She was one of the last ones to tangle with him one on one. And he twisted her ankle. To see her still walking around, albeit limping, would distract him long enough for someone to tackle him I bet."

"Just keep him away from the mirrors." Prentiss smiled, walking in and putting her bag down.

"Emily!" Garcia smiled, throwing her arms out for a hug.

Prentiss gave her a hug then turned to Hotch, "I can go now. I'm ready."

Hotch considered it, then nodded and they all headed out toward the SUV.

* * *

><p>A car ride and a short Morgan pep-talk later, Prentiss stood about twenty feet away from the man who'd tried to kill her.<p>

The man that looked just like Reid.

Prentiss silently kicked herself. That wasn't Reid! Reid was awkward and kinda funny at times and really smart. This guy was a killer, a kidnapper, and some sort of ghost!

"Prentiss, now!" Rossi whispered into her ear piece.

Prentiss slowly stalked closer and closer while the other cops remained a few steps behind her.

"David?"

That obviously threw him for a minute, Orbus whipped around to see Prentiss standing there dressed completely in black. You couldn't see the bullet vest under the black coat.

"What do-How do you-"

"I know a lot of things, enough to tie you and your friend Maleficiis to all this."

Orbus looked sheepish, lowering his eyes to the ground in shame.

"Im not 'tied' to this!" he exploded, "I have no freakin' choice!"

Then the cop tackled him from behind.]

"We'll figure all that out," Prentiss said stepping closer and leaning down, "When we have you cuffed to a table in an interogation room." she smiled.

* * *

><p>Prentiss tried not to look into the room where all she saw was Reid cuffed to a table. He looked small and, with Orbus' outfit, like a little kid in trouble on halloween.<p>

"Prentiss?" Hotch touched her shoulder to get her attention.

"Yes?"

"You okay?"

"No." Prentiss flatlined, walking over and staring at Reid, who coincidentally didn't know he was staring right back.

"What's the problem?"

Prentiss sighed and was silent for a few moments.

"I look in there, and I know thats its some freak show that _looks_ like Reid, but all I _can_ see _is_ Reid! And I don't want to see a terrified Reid cuffed to a table in a small, dark, intimidating interrigation room!" And with that Prentiss stomped out of there. Hotch sighed, he could understand the feeling.

Morgan walked through the door holding a few files.

"Ready." he said depressingly, heading to the door.

"Morgan."

"Yeah?"

"Remember: Its not Reid."

"I know." Morgan forced a plastic half smile on his face before opening the door and walking inside.

Reid's head snapped up in his direction, Reid's face lit up, and Reid's mouth turned up at the corners into a smile.

But it wasn't Reid, it was Orbus making Reid do that.

"Orbus." Morgan nodded in his direction.

"Derek." Orbus smiled.

Morgan sat down and flipped open the file on the top of his stack.

He gently started placing photos infront of Orbus.

The group photo of everyone, with the real Orbus standing beside Lyssa and her parents, a photo of Orbus, and Reid's drivers license photo.

Orbus stared at the group photo intently, focusing on the spot where Maleficiis was supposedly, Morgan still couldn't see her, and where Lyssa was, sitting in her fathers arms smiling at the camera.

"Your not Spencer Reid." Morgan said after awhile.

Orbus looked up and smiled Reid's famous smile, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am." Morgan said, "Reid wouldn't run off from his friends and life here. He wouldn't abduct defenseless children, and he wouldn't have dressed up in... that."

Orbus looked down at his outfit with the black trousers, red suspenders, and the weird bow tie with the cicus themed charms at the end of chains.

"Gotta attract a crowd man, only way to get buisness."

"Uh-huh." Mrogan rolled his eyes and pulled out the crime scene photos from when the Circus had burned down all those years ago, taking pleasure when ORbus whinced at the site of his own corpse, Lyssa's and her parents, and the photo of Maleficiis. Morgan had to take that one himself since no one could find one of her anywhere! He was slightly surprised when Orbus sneered at that one, curling his lip back and shriveling his nose in disgust at the sight of her.

"Please take that one away. It is not neccassary." He said suddenely rather stiff, and Morgan saw a trace of fear in his eyes. Mrogan took the photo and placed it back in the folder.

Orbus shook his head and pointed to the window, mouthing something.

_"Put it out there!"_

Morgan gave him an odd look but got up and knocked on the door, handing the photo to Hotch.

"And put something heavy on it!" Orbus called. "Really heavy!"

"What was that about?" Morgan asked when Hotch had locked the door.

"She can see you when you have her picture." Orbus said, "That's why she disapeared from your photo, atleast for you and most of your team. Dear Penelope can still see her right?"

"Yes." Morgan said, a little shaken.

Orbus nodded, "Thats not good for her." He said grimly.

"How do you know this?"

"You had to take a picture right?" Orbus pointed to where Maleficiis had been in the group shot, "I can see her here, but you cant. When you understand what some of her spells are its easy to guess. Anyway, she can still see me, so I have to be careful."

"Are you helping us?" Morgan finally asked.

Orbus smiled, leaning forward on his elbows and placing his hands between his fists, "Careful Agent, dont want to lose face infront of the suspect do you? I might take advantage of the situation."

Morgan raised an exasperated eyebrow.

"Fine, yes." Orbus said leaning back in his chair.


	33. A Dream in a World Full of Nightmares

Morgan stared at the RingMaster.

"Why? Aren't you going to be on Maleficiis side or something? You were in that Hall of Mirrors! You twisted Prentiss' ankle for gosh sakes!"

Orbus held up a finger, "One, I have no loyalties to the Black Witch," he held up another finger, "Two, I can't take responsibility for my actions in that place... well, maybe a little, I did let Reid win when he fought me. I could have destroyed what was left of him right there infront of the poor girl. And three I was under the Black Witch's influence. We all are. Especially Lyssa. She cant stop herself since her insanity was unleashed. The closer you are to her physically, the more you do what she hopes you will."

"Then why hasn't she had us let her go? Or preform any 'rituals' or something of the like?"

"She can't control what she cant see Derek."

"What?"

"Your different from when we met before. It's harder to see you. Your fuzzy. Like I need glasses. But it's only you and your whole team. Except for the Lady that is. She I can still see clearly."

"We didn't do anything."

"I know." Orbus smiled, "A White Witch must be your friend though. But you can investigate that later, or maybe not at all. Best not to look a gift horse in the mouth am I right?"

"Is this going anywhere?"

"I'm glad you asked, now, about your friend Reid. I'm truly sorry about that. Shall I put my mask on? Will it make this easier?"

"If your taunting me I will have that camera shut off for five minutes."

"Sorry," Orbus smiled, "Never could take anything seriously. Tiffany loved that... and hated it a few times as well." He looked on sadly.

"Tell me about them." Morgan thought he'd found away in.

"Sure. You'll need to know for when you confront Lyssa. They were good people who-"

"Readers Digest though, we need to not waste anymore time if were gonna make any rescue attempts."

Orbus rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Anyway, Tiffany and Richard started the Circus Of Dreams before Lyssa was born. Because it was that: a dream. Anyway, they signed me on as Ring Master because they wantd to be able to sit in the audience with their kid and enjoy her laughter as she watched us preform. Course, it helped I was Richard's best friend. Lyssa used to call me 'Uncle Orbus'. You know why?"

Morgan shook his head.

Orbus' eyes moistened at the memory, "Cause it sounded funny, like me."

Morgan swallowed a lump in his throat. This guy sucked. Morgan wanted to hate him, but he was starting to undestand him to. Stupid Compassion.

"Anyway, Maleficiis showed up out of nowhere wanting a job. She said she could be the Circus' 'mystic' or whatever. Richard thought it would be a good idea. But afterwards she was always... watching Lyssa." Orbus looked uncomfortable.

"Watching?"

"Not in that way, just with a sort of hunger. Like she wanted her for something. Probably to eat. Anyway, after awhile Richard and Tiffany began to distrust her. I had from the moment she signed on. We all kept close eyes on her. Then, that day came."

"What day?"

"The day she asked if Lyssa could work with her in her act!" Orbus' faced flushed with anger. "They said no of course, even Lyssa could see something was scary with her. Lyssa used to have nightmares about her. I'd hear her screaming at night sometimes. I moved my caravan oustside theres. As added protection, and a way to reassure myself I could help should anything happen. But of course," Orbus wiped an eye, "It didn't work did it?"

Morgan shook his head.

"Understand, we weren't afraid of firing her, the whole ordeal just lasted a few months. We were about to when... the Fire started."

"When did you decide to?"

"As soon as she asked for Lyssa's partnership. The next day, the Circus burned down and... well... this happened."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I'm cursed. That fire was no fire. It burned so fast because it was a cursed fire. When we burned, we were trapped within that Circus. It went from being a dream to a nightmare."

"Then how are you here now?"

"Im still trapped to doing her bidding, but the second she gave me a body I gained my mobility back, if not some of my mind."

Morgan stared unsure at Orbus. Orbus rolled his eyes and leaned forward, a touch of insanity and dangerous rage dancing at his eyes.

"I want the Black Witch brought down! And soon. I'm tired of playing puppet. And Im tired of watching Lyssa suffer."

"Isn't she in charge of this?"

"NO!" Orbus exploded standing up, "She's been around the Witch for 80 years! 80 years filled with dark magic infusing into her very being! It would drive anyone mad, much less a little girl! She's lost her grip on reality! On everything really..." he sat back down tiredly.

"When I saw what she'd become through Reid's eyes, when he held her back after she tried to drag you down into this, I realized I had to do something. So when I confronted Prentiss in the Hall and then got arrested, I knew I was far enough away from the Witch that I could run away. Not forever, just long enough for me to formulate a plan."

"So you showing up at the mall and getting sighted was on purpose."

"Right, but I wanted one of your team to do the honors. The cops wouldn't understand. But I didn't realize you'd arrested the Witch as well. The second we drove up I could feel her influence. I almost ran away again."

"Intresting." Hotch said, walking through the door. "Morgan, sorry but we need to go. With this information we could probably find something in Maleficiis' tent."

"Yes! It's perfect!" Then Orbus saw the open door, "CLOSE THE DOOR!"

Hotch slammed it fast.

"Sorry, anyway, when you get there, look for these things."

When he started listing off items Morgan barely got a pen in his hand fast enough!

* * *

><p>Maleficiis sat calmly in her cell with her eyes closed... to most she would have looked asleep. But to the trained eye she was faking. The stiffness of her body, the rigidness of her face, and her twitching closed eyes gave her away. Her expression was grim and when she finally did open them, her eyes screamed murder.<p>

"So the RingMaster betrays his circus huh? He will regret this."

* * *

><p>Morgan and Hotch opened the door to leave, but Morgan turned back, one question popping into his mind. He closed the door again.<p>

"You said everyone who died in that Circus was trapped to be what you are now right?"

"Aye." Orbus nodded, looking at him with Reid's innocent expression. Morgan tried hard to look past it, he really did.

"Then how come we haven't seen Lyssa's parents?"

Orbus smiled, "If you'd denied a Witch what she wanted and she'd entrapped your entire family in a curse because of it and everyone was subcoming to her influence, would you want to be around?"

"No."

"Do you think they might not destroy you? Not just her, but all who were subcoming to her."

Morgans eyes grew wide, "Theyre not..."

"No." Orbus smiled, "But why do you think Lyssa carries that bunny with her? She doesn't understand it, but that bunny is important to her. It gives her a dream in a world full of nightmares."


	34. Race You

**Confused? "But Alitote! I thought Orbus was a bad guy!" Well, no. No he's not. You think anyone inhabiting REIDS body can be evil? Whats wrong with you?**

**Ha anyway, now that you've gotten a chance to look at the "real" Orbus, back to the story! Who else wants to see Reid back home doing what he does best?**

The team drove quietly up to the tent, almost like they felt the Witch could still watch them.

The car made quiet crunching sounds driving up the drive dirt road, but it was defenying racket to the frightened team. Theyre nerves were frayed and their patience was begining to wear thin.

Prentiss had almost cried when Morgan had told everyone what Orbus had said in the interogation room. That sucked, it really did.

They parked the car just outside Maleficiis tent, walking carefully inside while snapping the blue latex gloves on.

The place was just as dusty and cluttered as before. Excpet now it felt empty... and yet like there was something here, waiting for them.

"This place gives me the creeps!" Prentiss shivered as she walked in behind Rossi.

"Good. We dont want to be comfortable here." Rossi said.

This time they paid special attention to the photos, the ornaments covering the bookshelves and tables. Even the ground was carefully searched.

"This could take awhile." Morgan sighed to himself.

* * *

><p>Reid and JJ had been trying to fall asleep for hours. Now finally he could feel sleep weighing down his eye lids.<p>

_Finally__..._

Reid closed his eyes, sighing deeply.

_Here we go..._

* * *

><p>Rossi picked up a picture frame carefully. The photo was of Lyssa and her dad. But Richard's face had been burned out completely, from what looked like a cigarette.<p>

"She still hold's a grudge obviously."

Prentiss crouched infront of a trunk, picking the lock and lifting the heavy lid. Inside was a collection of books and more knick knacks. She picked up what looked like a photo album.

"And she's been... o my-!" Prentiss covered her mouth, handing the photo album to the first person. She dry heaved right there.

Hotch recoiled at the photos. They were the crime scene photos. Every single one, only they seemed more grisly. Everyone pictured was burned and had died in alot of pain.

Towards the back there were photos of people Hotch didn't recognize. They were unburned, but obviously dead and had died in pain. They were dressed in circus outifts and died a number of ways. But most looked like theyd just dropped there, dead.

"These must be the bodies of other people she's abducted." Hotch guessed. "Take it, we can show it to Orbus, see if he knows anything." He handed it to Rossi who placed it in a plastic evidence bag.

Morgan stared at a line of dolls sitting on a shelf. One was of a boy in a tailcoat and top hat holding a cane above his head, the other was a girl in a tutu and the stand had a small silver line painted under her feet. The third was of a boy in a clown costume, throwing a green ball in the air while catching a red one. The last one was a boy holding a torch opening his mouth wide while smiling and giving Morgan a thumbs up. He was dressed in red tights and orange boots.

"These must be important."

"Maybe." Hotch said, not looking away from what he was doing.

"Hey! Look at this!" Prentiss said near a dutch oven that had been buried in the dirt **(And for those of you you dont know what a dutch over is, ive outlined it in the a.n. below)**

There was a bound stack of photos and two little painted and melted figurines that had been placed under the dutch oven. The papers were burned and falling appart.

"What are they?" Rossi asked.

"Photos of Tiffany and Richard Goldebourne. Im guessing that what the figurines are too."

A shiver passed over the whole tent.

"Okay, is that all we need?" Morgan asked, rubbing his arms.

* * *

><p>Reid felt like he was floating, JJ lay next to him, her eyes closed. He was sure they were gonna float away.<p>

"Reid?" JJ whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Race you!" And with that, JJ rocketed towards the sky, towards home.

"No fair!" Reid laughed, flying after her and into the maze like multicolored swirls of the sky.

**A Dutch oven is a large iron bowl with a lid you put in the ground when camping to cook food when you dont have a grill and dont want everything you have there to smell like smoke from a fire. You fill an area with hot coals and such and bury the dutch oven in it, placing the lid ontop and leaving it there to cook. its very useful to old evil witches living in tents trying to take out there agression on good parents keeping there daughters from them. :)**


	35. Dream

Reid thought he'd been flying forever. He was surrounded by swirls of color. Like lights in a circus tent they use for spotlights.

"Wait a minute." Reid said, and then he dropped like a stone.

He hit the hard dirt of the center ring.

"Ow."

"What happened?" JJ asked, breathing hard, getting up slowly.

"We're... in the maze?" Reid asked.

_"Heeheehee!"_

_Thump!_

"Oh no! No!" JJ backed into Reid, grabbing and climbing onto him, trying to get away from what had to be coming!

"Reid don't let her get me!" JJ whispered, panick stricken.

Reid's eyes darted every direction, where were they?

"Leave us alone Lyssa!" he screamed.

"L-look, look JJ, you see the tent flap? It's open! We can make a break for it!"

"Lets do it!" JJ and Reid sprinted towards the opening of the Circus tent.

They ran out into the sunlight.

The burning sunlight.

"AAHH!" JJ was screaming. She was on fire!

Reid was too!

_"Heehee!"_

_thump_

"JJ! GRab my hand!"

"Your on fire!"

"That's not important! You are too!"

JJ grabbed his hand, and he pulled her close.

"Just breathe and fall."

And they fell to the ground.

Where they kept falling.

_"Heehee!"_

_Thump!_

Wait a minute!

Reid's eyes snapped open and he stopped screaming, "How is she thumping?"

"What?" JJ screamed.

"How is she still crawling? Were falling through bthe air! If she were this close, she'd be falling to!"

"SO?"

"So, were safe!"

And with that, Reid landed ontop of JJ with a thud!

"Off!" JJ demanded, "Now!" Pushing Reid off.

"JJ were safe. We're gonna be okay. We're just dreaming."

The ground shuddered, "More like a nightmare." JJ mumbled.

_"I have those all the time." _Lyssa said sweetly from the darkness before her burned and mangled appearance crawled from out of the shadows. Heading straight for JJ.

"REID!" JJ screamed as Reid fought Lyssa off, struggling from the little girls strength.

"RUN! Find a way out!"

JJ nodded, running toward the light as, what they hoped was a door, opened.

"Your more fun anyway Uncle Orbus." Lyssa smiled, hugging him. Breaking his arms in the process. Reid screamed in pain.

"Why am I feeling pain?" He whispered, "You dont feel pain in-"

"-nightmares."

Reid woke up, sitting up quickly in his bed. The sheet flew to the floor.

Morning sunlight shown through the window, warming his face.

"What?"

Was this all a dream?


	36. Uncle Orbus on a Saturday

Reid lurched for the window, ripping the blinds up. Everything outside was normal. The bird house he'd set out there out of sheer boredom after getting kidnapped and on leave for a few months was sitting out there, filled but in serious need of a paint job.

His ratty tennis shoes were in the same place he'd left them, by the window.

Reid ran into his bathroom and looked into the mirror. searching for ghosts or smoke anywhere in the reflection. Nothing. Just a mirror.

Reid walked carefully into the hallway, the slightest sound sent him jumping a mile a minute.

So when the phone rang he almost died!

"He-hello?" he asked breathlessly.

"It's time to bring Lyssa home." a woman said.

"What?"

"David, I want you to bring Lyssa home."

"My name is Spencer." Reid said stupidly.

"Bring Lyssa home."

"She is home." Reid said, trying anything to get out of this conversation. His hand was glued to the phone and his arm was locked. It wouldn't listen to him. It wouldn't put the phone down.

"I want my baby."

"You already have her!" Reid shouted! "You already have her and she has all of us! Leave me alone! Leave me alone and go away!"

A _whoosh_ and suddenely he heard his TV snap on.

A kids cartoon was playing.

"Uncle Orbus!" Lyssa called from the couch, looking like a regular nine year old in pink footie pajamas with a bowl of cereal sitting in her lap.

"I didn't even know I had that cereal." Reid said to himself.

"You always buy it when I stay over!" Lyssa smiled, smiling a toothy grin and showing off the spaces inbetween her canine teeth.

"I do." Reid just stated.

"Watch TV with me!" She held her small hand to him.

"Sure." Reid said, very unsure of himself. He took her hand and sat watching TV with her. He didn't recognize the cartoon, but it was a story about a group of grown ups, seven people. Each of tehm were different, but they all wanted to be around eachother. Then one of the characters decided to run away and the six others looked for them at first, but then gave up and played with eachother. The odds were more even now anyways. So the seventh one left the show and Reid didn't see him in any of the other episodes.

"Uncle Orbus," Lyssa said afterawhile, "Why does Granny Mal hate you?"

"Who?"

"Granny Mal. She has that pet bird. And she throws dirt at you when you walk by her." Lyssa said, very sincere.

"I dont know why?"

"She said she'd take you away when she found you. She said she hated you." Lyssa looked very sad, her chin quivering.

Reid leaned foreward and took Lyssa's jaw in his hand, "Who are you? Why are we here?" He asked softly.

Lyssa stared at him for awhile, before she blinked, "Your not Uncle Orbus."

"I'm sorry." Reid was. He was sorry she was alone. This didn't seem like the girl from before, who'd tried to kill him.

"Where is he?" Lyssa asked angrily.

"I don't know. I'm trying to find him. Where am I now?"

"I'm hiding from Granny Mal. She wants me. But only that scary part of me. It was going to eat me." Lyssa, as if in fear from the very thought, hugged Reid around the neck very close. She whimpered a little in fear.

Reid hugged her back, picking her up so she wouldnt strangle him when he stood up.

"I'm scared." Lyssa whispered in his ear.

"Ill protect you." Reid said distractedly, walking around the house as the day quickly turned to night, looking for something, he didn't know what though.

"Maybe its where we first met." Lyssa said, smiling.

Reid gave her an odd, tired, look. Then he walked into his bedroom slowly, where on his bed sat a little bunny dressed as a Circus ringleader. Lyssa squealed and jumped out of Reid's arms onto the bed, scooping up the bunny in her arms.

The phone rang again, but Reid ignored it.

Lyssa was crying, and the bunny was too.

"Where's Orbus?" She asked.


	37. Birthday Parties

JJ woke up with a bang in her house. It was empty and the light was all weird.

The phone started Ringing, sending JJ over the edge screaming until she remembered herself and picked the phone by her bed up off the cradle.

"He-hello?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"WHERES MY BABY!" A woman screamed at a pitch that didn't even sound human. JJ slamed the phone down, crawling away from the bedroom on her knees as fast as she could.

This place was not her home. She could tell right now. It was cold and there were no signs of Will or Henry ever being here to begin with. Everything just seemed... hostile. The light, the objects, her own face in the mirror.

A knock rapped on the door.

When she opened it she found a pale Morgan smiling a giant, toothy smile and waving.

"There you are!" He said excitedly, "It's time to go to work!" He hooked his arm in hers and pulled her out the door.

"Morgan! Wait!" JJ tried, pulling at her arm even though it didn't budge no matter how hard she pulled, "I need to say good bye to Henry!"

"No you don't he's already there!" Morgan smiled.

"There?"

"Yep!" Prentiss squealed like a little girl, hugging JJ from behind.

"Guys, let go!" JJ said, fear in her voice.

"Why?" Hotch said, appearing out of nowhere. He held onto JJ's shoulder on the otherside from Morgan.

"Seriously! Stop!"

"What's the problem?" Garcia sneered, appearing infront of her and holding her free hand, "To close? To trampeled on?"

"What? Yes!" JJ said uncertainly, "Where's-"

"Reid? He's gone! But lets go find him!" Prentiss said, still acting giddy. She pulled JJ out of the group smothering embrace and down the street. Prentiss called back to the guys, "I'll bring her later!" Everyone else gave shouts of agreement and when JJ turned to look at them, they were gone.

"Emily," JJ said.

"Yeah?" Prentiss' girl attitude was so... different.

"Since when is your hair in pigtails?" They were, high, swishy pigtails on the top sides of her head. They were ornamented with pink bows that the tails swung and flew around in the breeze.

"Theyre so pretty! Granny Mal said I'd look so cute in them! And Granny's always right!" Prentiss skipped along.

"When did she have time to change?" JJ asked herself. Instead of the black and formal work clothes she wore a poofy white and pink long sleeve dress that she swished in balled up fists that her arms swung.

"Were so pretty!" Prentiss sang.

"What is wrong with you?" JJ asked.

"Nothing." Prentiss smiled. The two front teeth were missing. On a little girl it would have been cute, on Prentiss it was... off setting.

Wait...

"Are you a little girl?"

Prentiss waked her shoulder, "Of course silly!" Then she pointed to JJ, "So are you."

JJ looked down to see she was dressed exactly like Prentiss. She shook her head and her hair, tied in pigtails, swished. Then she felt the gap where her teeth should have been.

JJ was officially scared.

* * *

><p>Reid and what he assumed was the "Real Lyssa" walked carefully down the street. She still called him Uncle Orbus, following with a demand to know who he really was afterward.<p>

"Look!" He finally said, pointing at the one story corner house. JJ's house! "That's where my friend lives. She'll help us."

Lyssa nodded, drawing closer to Reid and holding his hand tighter.

Reid picked her up again and carried her to the door, knocking lightly before it swung open freely by a pale, smily Will holding a pale Henry on his shoulder. Will was dressed in a sailor boy's uniform, like the ones moms pose their young sons in for family portraits. It looked worse when the little kid looked like he'd shot up to a full grown man and the clothes barely followed suit.

"Hiya! Is Lyssa here for a play date?"

"No!" Reid and Lyssa said together.

"Then what are you doing here?" The full grown sailor boy snarled.

"We were wondering where JJ was."

Will smiled again, "The girls are out getting ready for the party! Their waiting at the office, go! The rest are already there!"

"Okay." Reid said, bolting from the door with Lyssa still slung on his shoulder.

"And don't forget your presents!" Will called.

* * *

><p>JJ was sitting in the BAU room, but it wasn't the BAU room. It was covered by a lacy white table cloth, with a china tea set set out. All the members of her team, minus Reid, sat around teh table. The girls dressed like her, the boy's in sailor suits. She tried very hard not to even let Hotch in her peripherial.<p>

The music sounded like a music box in the back ground, playing happy birthday over and over. But it sounded out of tune or to loud and a few times like a different song all together.

"JJ!" Reid screamed, slamming through the glass double doors.

"In here." JJ called, fear in her voice.

She was shocked when he walked through, a small, perfectly normal Lyssa in his arms.

Then nearly puked when she saw he was in a sailor suit to.

"Reid!"

Reid looked down, and whent bright red when he saw what he was wearing.

"Sorry JJ." he squeaked. "Atleast you uh... look nice."

"I'm missing my two front teeth."

"That's what the 'Uh' was for."

"Ouch, okay, help."

"Reid!" Hotch said standing up and welcoming Reid to the table.

"Oh no." Reid said shielding Lyssa's eyes. Lyssa giggled.

"Welcome to the party."

"What kinda party?" Lyssa asked for Reid.

"Your birthday party!" Hotch answered.

Lyssa leaned down to whisper in Reid's ear. "The exit is through the elevator, find Uncle Orbus."

"Will you be allright?" Reid asked softly.

Lyssa nodded, "I like parties! And I'm finally turning 10!"

Reid nodded, transfering the little girl to Hotch and then motioning for JJ to follow.

"Bathroom buddies." He smiled at Hotch before JJ muttered "Ew" and swatted the back of his head.

They'd never run so fast in their lives as when they sprinted for the elevator. When they ran through, they ran into open space.

And just floated there...

For a...

Really...

Long...

Time...

Reid felt sleepy again.


	38. Finding the Path

Garcia sat in the BAU room by herself, typing away on one of the laptops surrounding her. She'd found the records of all but two of the people in the photo album. She'd made copies of the albums photo's so Morgan could show it to Orbus.

The last two were Orbus and Richard Goldebourne. It was like theyd never existed. Which was weird. The only record that Richard had ever existed was his name on his marrige certificate to Tiffany, and on Lyssa's birth records. The rest was in Tiffany's name. And even then the Circus buisness records, her own birth certificate, and her death certificate were all that were there.

"Where are they?" Garcia asked frustratedly.

* * *

><p>Morgan sat infront of Reid-Orbus- again, watching him look through the photo album of dead bodies.<p>

He let Orbus look through it. He held the pages in the same awkward style Reid did, only he took longer to look through it.

Orbus had grown pale, and when he saw the photo of himself he'd dry heaved. Morgan had held a trash can nearby, in case Orbus really did throw up. He'd teared up alittle when he saw the Goldebourne's photos, but he'd been stonily quiet the rest of the time.

Finally Orbus closed it, slamming it shut.

"Well?"

"Its everyone who she's killed in the Circus Of Dreams up until two years ago. She ran out of room in this one I'm guessing. There was probably another one somewhere in that tent."

"Does it pertain to the case?"

"As evidence." Orbus said shrugging, "But it wont help you find Reid or Lyssa. Or JJ."

"Now," He picked the album up and handed it to Morgan, "Get this filth out of my sight!"

* * *

><p>Hotch sighed, pinning a photo up of Josh Brightman. He'd disapeared in Oklahoma in 1995 and turned up dead in 2001 dressed as a clown in Minnesota.<p>

He looked across the map where a yellow pin tied with a piece of yarn to a picture of a deceased circus preformer. There was alot. Especially in Virginia, where the giant cluster of yellow pins showed where the whole Circus had originally died, where Maleficiis took over.

Garcia got up from her office chair and pinned up Tiffany Goldbourne's information.

"I can't find Richard or Orbus. Why is that?"

"I don't know, just use the picture from the original playbill, like before."

Garcia nodded, walking over to the table to grab the picture.

The picture that had been replaced by one of Reid.

"Why is Reid's here?" Garcia asked.

Hotch turned around, looking at the picture Garcia was holding.

"That's Orbus."

"No! It's Reid!" Garcia said, holding it up higher, closer to the lights.

It was Reid. Smiling up at a camera.

* * *

><p>JJ hung in space, half concious, half dreaming. Was she out here, in nothingness? Or was she standing next to Reid, dressed normal and her teeth back in there rightful place, staring at Reid sitting in a room with Mrogan, looking through a book?<p>

"Reid?" She asked, nudging his shoulder, "Where are we?"

"I think, were at the police station."

"And where else? I feel like Im torn between two places."

"Hmm... maybe the other place is... space? That's what it looked like atleast."

Morgan got up and left the room, holding the book. The Reid in there just sat back and waited for the door to close. Then he started wiping his eyes and shaking his head.

"Can we walk around?" JJ asked.

Reid looked around, then opened a door and walked out.

"Yep."

JJ nodded and walked out behind him.

Everything had a blueish light to it. Even the objects glowed faintly.

"Reid?" JJ asked after a few minutes. She pointed to a room with windows in it. Inside were Prentiss and Rossi. They were talking to a man in a tan suit and flipping through files while Prentiss stood there looking at little palm sized figurines.

"What are they doing?" JJ asked.

"Working?" Reid shrugged, "Trying to find us?"

"I hope so. But what if they've moved on? What if they gave up and moved on without us?"

Reid looked at the media liason.

"Do you really believe that would happen?"

"No?"

"Question answered, HEY!" He saw Morgan walk through, well, more like storm through the door. He then walked out and into the parking lot.

"Maybe he was headed back to-Reid come back!" Reid had already taken off in another direction, heading for the door they just came out of. Two police officers had walked in and Reid slipped in behind him.

* * *

><p>The two cops entered the interrogation room, unchaining Orbus's feet from the table and standing him up.<p>

They all walked out the door.

But Orbus jumped back, gasping hard! Then he went limp.

The sudden deadweight surprised the two officers who didnt have time to absorb the impact and Orbus was wrenched from their hands! He fell to the floor, cracking his head on the handle of the door. He began flailing around, grabbing at air with his cuffed hands. He gasped hard.

One of the officers yelled something while the other stood there pulling out his phone, heading out the door to a less noisy area.

Prentiss ran in, followed by Rossi. They both stared a little surprised at the choking Orbus as he tried to scream for help.

"Get... Him... OFF!" Orbus managed before choking hard again. He coughed a few times.

Suddenely Prentiss felt something very cold come over her, making her whole body hurt and her teeth chatter.

JJ ran through everyone, litterally ran through! But she hardly noticed as she tackled Reid, trying to pull him off of Orbus.

"NO JJ! I need answers! I want this-"

"Reid no!" JJ screamed!

"-To know what I think of this whole-"

"Reid get off!"

"-ily messed up psyco's mother-"

"REID!"

"-dream!"

JJ finally wrenched him off, both sliding to the floor and hitting a wall.

"That's not how you get answers." JJ huffed into Reid's ear.

"I know. I just wanted to give him a piece of my mind."

Orbus lay there, the back of his head bleeding, and coughing. Breathing hard, but coughing. Dark purple bruises were forming on his face and neck and a trickle of blood flowed heavily from his nose and the corner of his mouth. One eye was turning an ugly black.

Orbus heaved himself up, using Prentiss as support when she rushed over, "How did you get here?" he demanded.

Prentiss stared at him, "I was in the other room, you knew that."

Reid said at the same time, "It isn't any of your- wait what are you doing?" He was talking to Prentiss, "He's not me!"

"I know I'm not you! They know too!"

"You shutup!" Reid screamed, landing another one to Orbus's jaw.

Orbus fell back against the wall, dragging Prentiss with her.

"Sorry Dear Lady," He coughed, wiping his mouth and nose with the back of his hand as Prentiss helped him up, "But Reid's made an unscheduled appearance today."

Prentiss dropped Orbus in surprise, "What?"

"Yeah, you can't see him?" Orbus pointed at Reid, "He's standing in the corner with JJ. I think we might have a chance afterall. They found there way back!"


	39. Sick

The moment Hotch, Morgan, and Garcia heard about what happened at the station they'd jumped in a van and drove over. Morgan nearly took out a couple standing to close to the road with the 380 he pulled turning back to the station.

"What do you mean?" He asked again, nodding at the bird the man on the street threw at him.

"Orbus just hit the floor flailing, like someone was beating him! And then when I helped him up Reid hit him again. It was insane!"

"So where is Reid now?"

"I... don't know. Orbus can see him but I'm guessing he's keeping as far away from him as possible. Orbus says he can hear him yelling sometimes so I guess he hasn't left yet."

"How is this possible?" Morgan asked.

"I dunno. I called Ivona earlier. She's driving down to see if she can bridge this... uh... "Spiritual Gap" as Orbus called it. I think Reid'll talk to her."

"What about JJ? Is Will on his way?"

Prentiss was silent.

"You haven't told him?"

"We... didn't wanna raise his hopes."

"I see." Morgan said, running a light.

* * *

><p>Reid walked around the little office at the station, looking at photos of all the burned corpses and pictures of regular people right next to them. JJ walked a few steps behind him. suddenely she stopped and pointed at the group shot. She placed her finger on Tiffany Goldebourne.<p>

"I saw her." JJ said. "Right before Lyssa showed up and you got her to break that mirror."

"You think it means something?" Reid asked.

"Maybe?" JJ shrugged, "I don't know."

"That's interesting." Someone said behind them.

Ivona leaned against the door frame, a black leather jacket folded up in her arms. She smiled at both of them.

Reid stepped infront of JJ, gently pushing her fully behind him, "Who are you?"

"I'm Ivona." Ivona smiled, her teeth highlighted surrounded by the dark lipstick. "We spoke before. You guys nearly killed Em."

Reid nodded, "Ah, sorry about that."

Ivona laughed.

"Anyway, what are you doing here?" Reid asked.

"Well since the only other person who can see you is Orbus and he gets beaten everytime you get near him I'm here to talk to you." Ivona said, walking in. "So," she placed her jacket on the table and marched over to Reid, leaning on his shoulder. Or atleast mimed doing so. She couldn't really feel him, "What's up? Any psycotic witches in your life lately?"

Reid smiled and he stepped out from under her. JJ walked back over to the board.

"So who is Lyssa?" JJ asked. "I thought she was the one behind all this."

Ivona smiled, "You sure you don't wanna hear Obrbus tell it. He gives it that tragic taste. Makes the whole story that much sweeter."

Reid stared at her, "That a-"

"Reid!" JJ hit him, although he was so angry he didn't notice.

"-stole my body! He tried to kill me too! The only thing Im gonna do when I see him is kick-"

"Reid!"

"-back to his well deserved grave!"

Ivona nodded, "Impressive statement."

Reid nodded in satisfaction.

"Now." Ivona said, stepping closer to look at the board, "The one behind this whole ghost story come to life is sitting in a holding cell behind Iron bars waiting for someone to get close to her. Her name is Maleficiis. She's as old and ugly as you can imagine and ju8st as powerful."

"Must be powerful." Reid grinned.

"The circus in question is being controlled by her and her evil soul's influence has trapped all the performers she burned in a cursed fire to kill them after the parents of Lyssa denied her access to the little girl. This ugly hag scared the crap out of the nine year old anyway. Orbus and her parents, Tiffany and Richard, are the ones most in danger. Especially her parents. They should be hidden, but if you saw them that means their up to something. Probably the same thing we are but lets be cautious."

"You are a fast talker."

"But wait there's more!" Ivona grinned, "Malifeciis has had the poor Alyssa Goldebourne under her influence, that is to say surrounded with dark magic for so long, she's infected the poor thing. Lyssa is insane! She can't help what she's doing but if she could she'd probably stop."

"Yes she can." Reid said suddenly, "I saw her. She was in my apartment!"

"She's wherever the person she abducts is." Ivona said.

"No! After that! When we were trying to get back here. I woke up in my apartment and she was there watching cartoons!"

"What were the cartoons?" JJ asked out of curiosity.

"I... dont know." Reid shrugged, the cartoons were suddenely a blur in his mind.

Ivona studied him for a few minutes, then nodded and turned to JJ, "And... how did she appear?"

"Like a-Like that!" Reid pointed to Lyssa's obituary photo.

Ivona stared at him, "Really? Wow."

"It's not that surprising."

"And there were no cryptic messages, threats?"

"Course there were threats. I got a call from a woman screaming about a lost baby."

"That was Tiffany Goldbourne!" Ivona cried.

JJ waved her hand, "She called me too."

Ivona paced the room, thinking.

"Does it mean something?" Reid asked.

Ivona storming out of the room and to the holding cells was his answer.

"Apparantly so." He grabbed JJ's wrist, "Come on!"

* * *

><p>Orbus sat against the wall, rubbing his head while Malifeciis stared at him through the bricks and concrete.<p>

"I know your staring at me!" He called annoyed.

"Traitor." Malifeciis hissed.

Suddenely Ivona stormed in the room, "What did you do to them?" She cried, yelling at the Witch.

"Who love?" Malifeciis smiled sweetly.

"Tiffany and Richard! The only two that stood in your way of Lyssa!"

"Oh them!" Malifeciis feigned remembrance, "Such a sweet-"

"Shutup hag!" Orbus screamed! "There nothing to you! Answer the freaking question and shut that wrinkly mouth!"

Malifeciis stared at the Ringmaster venomously, "Fine. I destroyed them."

"How?" Ivona asked.

"I..." the Witch was attacked by a fit of giggles, "It was fitting really, I set the others on them. And when they caught up to those two..." She paused to cackle, "Lyssa ATE THEM! She ate their souls! Tore them right to pieces."

JJ covered her mouth falling into Reid who turned slightly green.

Orbus screamed curses and obscenities at the Witch who just sat there smug. Ivona sneered in disgust, "Your sick!"

"No just evil."

Orbus was still screaming.

Ivona shook her head and motioned to the guard to open Orbus' door.

Then she dragged Orbus into the office with all the pinned up pictures.

The rest of the team was back in there. They turned their eyebrows up in surprise when they saw Ivona and Orbus walk in, Ivona dragging the screaming Ringmaster before throwing him at the chair.

"Why are you so angry? You told me what happened!" Ivona cried.

"Yeah but what she said was true!" Orbus cried. "I found them looking like a wild animal had mauled them! It was horrifying! And now that I know why they looked like that..." Orbus had to be held back, he was busy screaming threats at the Witch. Threats they were sure he'd act out on.

Hotch turned to Ivona.

"Are they here?"

Ivona turned and looked behind her. Reid and JJ stood in the doorway, looking unsure at Orbus.

"He wont bite." She grinned at them.

Prentiss turned to look at the room, not sure of where her friends were standing. "Guys?"

JJ smiled and ran over to Prentiss, throwing her arms around her.

Prentiss shrieked, a cold sensation washing over her. Especially her neck and shoulders.

"Its just JJ." Ivona said distractedly. She still had the seething Orbus pinned to the chair.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Morgan asked. It was weird since to him it looked like Reid flailing and screaming in the chair. Even though he knew it was Orbus.

Finally Ivona slapped him. Orbus stopped screaming, making a choking sound before going limp. Ivona got off him and he stood up calmly.

"Thanks." he said before walking over to the board.


	40. I have an Idea

**Hello!**

**So..., I was reading some of the reviews and when I read Rogue's and went back and looked at it... he was right -_-**

**Oh well, they cant all be winners. So i guess its sorta a cliffhanger? Maybe? _**

**Anyway... dont hate me for the weird turn of events. :p**

**And review! it gets young fbi agents saved faster! watch, i'll prove it! :D**

Orbus stared at the boards, his eyes lingering on the photos of his former coworkers and Lyssa.

"We've been around that much?" he asked himself seeing the map with the dozens of yellow pins.

"It's everywhere one of your cast has turned up dead. I'm guessing thats when they become Pawns?" Hothc approached the Circus man slowly.

"Okay, then if the original Circus died there," Orbus placed his finger on the map, "And the current spot is there," he dragged his finger to where two yellow pins had been placed, one for the original Ringmaster and one for the late highwire man, "That's odd."

"What?" Prentiss asked.

"Well, we've never returned to the original site. We've set up in that exact spot. So why are the dots all spread out?" It was true. Only two were in the current location of the Circus of Dreams. The rest were spread out around the state. Very far away, the closest was about five miles in to the nearest town.

"So you dumped the bodies. What's so odd about that?"

"No. We didn't." Orbus said gravely, "They alway's just... left. But only when they could be replaced. I remember, I wasn't umm... given a new body until it was laying there before me." He said uneasily. He could see Reid seething by the window out of the corner of his eye. JJ stood close to the FBI agent, a protective hand on his arm.

"So Malifeciis just drove out and dumped the body when you weren't looking?" Garcia guessed.

"No. I was always around her." Orbus said, "Besides how's a century old witch going to be able to renew a drivers license time and time agian without being noticed. I mean, that face is pretty hard to forget." Orbus grinned at the insult.

"So if the Carny's didn't do it," Garcia verntured, "And the Hag Bag can't drive, they moved on their own?"

"I guess, and we prefer the term 'Preformer' Dear Lady." Orbus nodded.

"Then why didn't your... old body... show up somewhere else?" Prentiss asked. "Where was it anyway? We searched that Circus and we didn't find any dead corpses until he walked right out infront of us."

"I... don't know." Orbus said carefully, "I was kept on a short leash but I didn't see _everything_ the Black Witch did." He looked at the board carefully, not making eye contact with anyone.

Prentiss and Hotch shared a raised eyebrow and it was understood: Orbus was hiding something.

* * *

><p>Reid stared at his body. Moving on the accord of someone else entirely. Someone else manipulating his body and his team knew, and did nothing to fix it.<p>

It was easy to see it irked him a little bit.

Stepped infront of his line of sight, placing hands on both his shoulders.

"I said, Come on!" She finally pulled him by the ear out of the room.

"Ow ow ow ow!" Reid said as they brushed past the doorway, "Where are we going?"

"To do a little Detective Work."

* * *

><p>Malifeciis was left to her lonesome self inside her holding cell. All she had to do all day was sit back and watch the little spider in the corner make its web.<p>

And watch what Orbus was doing of course.

She sat against the wall with her eyes closed, breathing deeply and slowly as she watched Orbus stare at the board and trace his finger along familiar routes she'd forced him to travel for decades.

It wasn't nearly as intresting as watching Reid and the Blonde woman sneak out of the room.

And they were walking right to her.

"Fools." She croaked, a smile etching up her face.

* * *

><p>"What are we doing in here?" Reid groaned. The Witch, who he really didn't want to tangle with again anyway, was staring at him. Or maybe the brick wall behind him?<p>

"I wanna ask a few questions." JJ said innocently.

"What would you possibly have to ask her that the others havent already?"

JJ just stuck her tounge out at Reid and turned around to face the Witch. The Witch smiled pleasantly at the media liason.

JJ leaned against the bars, staring intently at the Black Witch.

"How come only some of the cast performers end up as Pawn's?"

Malifeciis stared at JJ haughtily, "What use would I have for a broken Puppet?"

"That's the thing, Morgan told me what Orbus said, his old body was always getting out from under his control and you kept him."

Malifeciis rolled his eyes, "There are more ways to classify a puppet as 'Broken' young lady. He was alive at least. Other's are beyond magic, or atleast the magic that I need them for."

"You're very helpfull you know." JJ commented, "Why incriminate yourself?"

"Because Magic conquers Might my pretty." Malifeciis sneered.

Reid grabbed JJ's arm, starteling her, "Let's go, I think Ivona's looking for us."

"Ah that's her name." the Witch sneered, "Tell that brat to stay away from me."

"Ok, she can give you her reply in person." Reid said sarcastically.

"I'll be waiting for it."

* * *

><p>Ivona walked softly around the station, whispering the names of the resident spirits.<p>

"Reid... JJ... Guys?"

"Need something?" Reid asked behind her, grinning when she jumped a little. Ivona turned around and smiled plasticaly, "Not funny."

"Very funny. What do you need?" Reid answered.

"You and JJ on a short leash."

"Why do all witches want spirits on short leashes?" Reid remarked.

"I am not a witch, I am a seer." Ivona said haughtily.

"Your weird and you dress like a goth." Reid said flatly.

Ivona rolled her eyes, walking back into the office where the rest of Reid's team sat, staring at Orbus who was talking about his Circus.

"I don't see how the routine would help with this." Orbus said uneasily.

"Maybe theres something we could use to trigger Lyssa into doing something." Prentiss reasoned.

"She's been watching for decades. The only one's she'd probably remember would be the ones she saw in her little world." Orbus said.

"Then anything special you did with her?" Morgan asked.

"You spent Saturday mornings with her." Reid said.

Orbus jerked his head up at Reid's injection into the conversation.

"How did you know that?"

"You did something special with her?" an unsuspecting Morgan asked.

"I saw it on my way here. I lived it for a few minutes. Then this weird thing happened where everyone ended up in dresses and sailor suits happened and Birthday parties and then JJ and I got the hell out of there." Reid said at the same time.

"Orbus?" Morgan asked, seeing Orbus' concentrated expression as he stared into, what Morgan thought, was space. Orbus held up a finger.

"Well the last Saturday she really had was the one on her Birthday. The next week..."

"Oh Reid's here." the Detective said unhelpfully.

"Thank you Detective." Hotch said plainly.

"And did everyone wear sailor suits?" Reid asked.

"Only one little boy, he was the trapeze artist's son."

"And she wore a big poofy dress?"

"Yes."

"I have an idea." JJ said suddenely.


	41. Skipper Jack

"NO!" Reid stated, "Absolutely not!"

"Come on! It's gonna work! She said she liked them anyway!" JJ pleaded.

"Actually, JJ's got a point," Ivona said helpfully, "maybe if we do this it'll bring her here."

"But she'll still be under the Black Witch's influence if we do." Orbus injected, "Do we want to risk that? Not even I can handle her. The black magics to infused within her."

"But isn't it worth a try?" JJ asked. Ivona nodded while Reid swung his head from side to side furiously. Orbus stared at the ground considering.

"I would like to see her again. But as a normal girl. Not that _thing_ that eats other's souls on the Witch's command." Orbus said angrily, Ivona just went pale and looked away guiltily. This did not go unnoticed by Reid. Or JJ. Or the rest of the team who was sitting there listening to one side of the conversation.

"So yes or no? We need everyone's participation." JJ asked finally.

"Yes." Ivona said quickly.

"No." Reid demanded.

They both stared at Orbus who looked from the psycic to the spirit guiltily. "Uhh..."

"What's going on?" Garcia finally demanded. "If your making important decisions-"

"We are." Orbus interrupted, happy to turn the focus somewhere else for a few more moments.

"That's not fair!" Garcia cried indignantly, "You said everyones participation. Do you really think we'll just go along with whatever it is your doing?"

"Yes." Orbus goaded, hoping to start a small fight so he could think for a few more minutes. everyone, including Ivona Reid and JJ stared murderous daggers at him. He grinned sheepiishly, "I mean-"

"What he means is that on Reid and JJ's way here, they ran across the last fragment of Lyssa's sane soul. The part of her that still acted like a little girl. Apparantly for a while she thought Reid was Orbus but she soon recognized he wasnt. She then sent herself in their place of a birthda party so they could escape."

"That doesn't sound so bad." Prentiss mused.

"The other guests were you guys, and you wore sailor suits and pink fluffy dresses and all the girls were missing their two front teeth."

"That's horrible!" Prentiss cried.

Ivona paused, "JJ says you looked really pretty Em."

Prentiss shot the wall opposite of where JJ was standing a dirty look, "Ha ha very funny."

"Anyway, before they left she told them she liked those kinds of parties. JJ thinks if we put one on maybe we'll get her to come."

The team was silent, finally Garcia spoke.

"But they have birthday parties all the time, and half the time people dress up and plus why would she? where a bunch of humans who she necer met." JJ blushed dark red, she really hadn't thought through all the plot holes in this plan.

"A bunch of humans, and three spirits inhabiting a stolen body and the inhabiting spirit happens to be Orbus. Add me, a psycic who can make contact with the spirit world. She'll notice, and when she sees who's there, she'll come."

the team was silent.

"As long as I dont see a version of me that likes dressing like that and acts as dippy as Im infering, fine." Prentiss said.

Garcia snorted and it was decided, they'd do it.

* * *

><p>Malifeciis sat in her cell alone, enjoying what she was seeing.<p>

And what she was about to do...

* * *

><p>"Uggh!" Prentiss cried when she walked out of Ivona's bathroom, wearing a poofy pink dress that went down to her knees. It was covered in frills and lace. It looked like something you'd dress a two year old in for a portrait to send to their grandparents.<p>

To make matters worse she'd been forced to add lace gloves, a pink satin head band, and black mary janes accompanied by the traditional white lace socks to the outfit.

Garcia walked out of the back room wearing the same thing. She grinned, "I look so pretty!"

Ivona rushed over to both of them, wearing a long black shapeless dress and more amulets and necklaces with weird symbols than usual.

"Why do get to dress cool?" Prentiss fumed.

"Because Im the one contacting the little ghost. And its my seance." Ivona led them to the front room, where her shop was at. The curtains had been drawn and the CLOSED sign hung on every window facing the street.

All the guys sat around a long table close to the ground, sitting on black and red cushions. They all wore sailor suits, but these fit them. With long white pants and shirts. Unlike the ones Reid and JJ had been forced to look at while trying to find a way out of their prison.

Morgan and Hotch grumbled, Rossi was trying not to look at them or any reflective surface.

"This had better work." Morgan growled.

"It should." Orbus shrugged, the only one not wearing a sailor suit. He was trying very hard not to laugh at the FBI agents.

"What are you laughing at, Circus Boy?" Rossi snarled. It was true, Orbus had everything donned that he did the night they met him a few weeks ago. He had the white mask with the spade and teardrop mask sitting on his knee. His black cane lay resting behind him.

"You, Skippy. Or would it be Sailor Jack*?" Orbus sneered.

Rossi decided to stew silently.

Reid and JJ laughed from the corner, as they couldn't change clothes, and JJ wished she could, she wanted to wear something comfortable like Reid in his T-shirt and pajama bottoms. Instead they were standing by the corner, waiting to see if Lyssa truly would appear.

"Hello boys," Ivona said walking in and sitting at the head of the table. The rest of the girls sat inbetween the guys, "welcome to your first seance. Before we begin please note the entrances and exits in case something should go supernaturally wrong. Also note not to speak until were sure Lyssa is with us. At all. I'll let you know. Who knows who we could invite if my concentration begins slipping. And the most important thing: do not, under any circumstances, take candy from strangers."

The group stared.

Ivona turned to Prentiss, "Bad Timing?"

"Yeah." Prentiss nodded.

"Okay, well, sorry guys." Ivona breathed deeply, "Okay, here we go." Ivona breathed deep and closed her eyes, placing her hands on her head and begining to hum.

***Skipper Jack is the name of the kid on the Cracker Jack box. He's dressed like a sailor so I thought it would be the perfect snarky remark :)**


	42. Salvation Party

**A quick thank you to the reviews so far, they're great! :)**

**And yes Rogue, Orbus was the creepy "villan" until he was captured. Now that part of his character has pretty much been fulfilled. He's now more of the one i send in to break alot of the tension when its gettingto be to much. that way you scream, you laugh, you scream again and then you laugh before screaming and wetting the computer chair because you did not see that coming. :p =^-^=**

The moment Ivona began the lights went down and the room got cold. An excited chill ran up Prentiss' spine. She loved watching Ivona work.

Rossi breathed even, fighting the cold feeling in the pit of his stomach as he watched Ivona in rapt attention. He wanted something to happen, he was wearing a sailor suit darnit, but it all felt so sureal. Like he was on one of those hidden camera shows, but they'd filmed this episode for a year instead of a day.

_Or maybe the stress of the job finally got to you,_ he thought bitterly, thinking something he'd been dearfully wishing since the beginning of this whole ordeal, _everyones safe and happy and this is the middle of a shock treatment or something._

The room was growing dark. Darker than it should have been for Rossi's comfort. It was alot colder now to. He could see the faintest traces of condensation around his mouth in the air when he exhaled.

_Dear Gosh,_ he thought stiffling the slightest gasp, _what is all this?_

And that's when Ivona opened her eyes and smiled at all around her. A big toothy grin showing off all she had inside her mouth.

Including a gap where her two front teeth should be.

"Thank's for coming to my party!" Ivona giggled cheerily, clapping her hands together.

* * *

><p>The Police station had grown quiet and cold in the darkness of everyone but the lonely nightguard left for home. The rest of the nightshift, which was rather small, was already out on patrol. This whole district was rather small. They didnt need many to look over it. You got out into the rest of the city, sure, they had a whole nightshift. This lowly district didn't need that. They were good people.<p>

Atleast until the Circus came to town...

The Night Guard heard a thump from behind the door with the holding cells

* * *

><p>Orbus hadn't experienced alot since he died in that fire long ago.<p>

Sure after that it was all possesions and performing in a new place every month.

But when you got into the quantity of it, not many things.

Now he wished he didn't have to experience this, as he watched the psycic let herself get possesed by his insane little surrogate neice. He knew how to stop her, he just didn't want to.

* * *

><p>the Night Guard walked slowly to the door that led to the holding cells. He knew who was in there.<p>

He grasped the cool metal handle and turned it softly as a few more thumps issued from behind the door he slowly pulled open.

* * *

><p>IvonaLyssa stood up, walking around the table. She had a confused look on her face.

"Where's the cake? And the presents? And why is your brother over there? Shouldn't he be sitting next to you?" Lyssa pointed to Orbus and then Reid, who stood in the corner infront of JJ who he'd jumped infront of.

Orbus was at a cross roads. Ivona said not to talk! What did he do? He looked around at the others, Prentiss shook her head furiously, fear filling her eyes.

_Heck_, he thought, shrugging inwardly,_ Im already dead. And I'd like to stay dead._

"Cupcake?" Orbus stood up, "Don't you recognize me?"

Prentiss felt her stomach drop, her lungs seized up. What was he doing? He was gonna get them all killed!

* * *

><p>the Night Guard took careful steps up the hallway, pausing in fear every time he made a sound.<p>

the thumps were louder. They sounded like a body hitting the wall, or maybe the floor. It was the whole body, thrown with force.

What was this woman doing? the guard wondered. She might get herself killed!

He walked slowly over, so slowly... He didn't want to excite her, throw her into something he might not be able to stop. He wasn't very young after all.

Malifeciis sat on her bench, leaning against the wall. She was playing with a spider in her hands.

There was no one else in there.

"What was that noise?" The Night Guard asked.

Malifeciis looked up, questioning innocence etched into her ancient face.

"Noise?" She was still playing with her spider.

"A thumping sound. Like a body."

Malifeciis screwed up her face, like she was thinking it over.

"Nope." she shrugged, "No noise."

The Guard nodded, but still walked up and down the cell, looking into every single one before he walked over to her.

"All right then. Well," He stopped infront of her cell, "Make sure there aren't _any_ noises okay?"

"I think I know what you were describing." Malifeciis stood up, walking over. The spider crouched obediently inside her ancient fingers.

"What?" the Night Guard looked around her cell as she patiently stared at him. There was nothing. She'd been allowed nothing when she arrived. All she had was the old black cloak on her and the spider crawling out of her hand that grasped the bars of her cage.

A spider that slowly crawled down to the floor.

"You heard a body?" Malifeciis smiled.

"Maybe." the Night Guard said suspiciously.

"No, you did. I'd best stay away from dark and lonely places if I were you. she didn't, they didn't, and you wont. But you should."

the Night Guard took a few steps back, walking slowly out of the room.

"Okay then." He said, walking out.

"He really should have listened." Malifeciis scoffed when the door clanged shut.

* * *

><p>IvonaAlyssa stared at Orbus.

"But... you... he... I saw you! We watched TV together before he took me to my party! The party Im at right now! The party in the room with the... round... table." Lyssa had noticed the long rectangular table Ivona had pulled out.

"That's right," Orbus said, stepping forward and taking her hand, "But now your at a new party. Your salvation party."

"My what?" Ivona's eyes grew big as Lyssa used them to stare with confusion.

"Your salvation party. We want to keep you away from the Witch." Orbus said earnestly.

Lyssa moved Ivona's head down, "I would like that." She said quietly.

"Good. Now, tell me, what did-"

"AHHHHHHHH!" The chilling shriek broke through the seriously-dead quiet that had entered the room the moment they started the seance.

Ivona was screaming.


	43. The Descent Into Madness

**Sorry about that, has been awhile since i updated huh? (although this hasn't been long compared with some of my other stories ((anyone here read _Blood Red Reid_?) (btw, ill finsih that one after this one, ive decided to take each story one at a time (or try atleast :D im always coming up with new ideas im afraid ill lose if i wait to long)))**

**Anyway, ive been battling semseter exams (dear gosh please let me have done well on the chemistry one!) and ive recently come down with something (i think its one of those 24 hours things, but still. it hurts!... and yes yucky)... although being sick means i have more time to write :)**

Ivona was kneeling on the floor, hands clawing at her face in a wild fury, like Ivona and Lyssa were battling to both stay and shoev the other out simoultaniously. Red dribbles of blood ran down the sides of her face where her nails had clawed at her head, like she was trying to reach something inside of her!

"Stop her!" Prentiss screamed, leaping up from the table and grabbing Ivona's wrists, yanking them away from her face. Ivona screamed even louder. The rest of the team jumped up, each grabbing a part of Ivona to hold down while Orbus stood above them, running meticulous eyes over the scene.

Reid and JJ stood in the corner in horror, the whole scene that played infront of them kept them rooted to the spot, until JJ let out a small gasp and grabbed Reid's arm.

"I think I know what's going on." she said greviously, pulling him from the room where they began to run faster than light towards the police station.

* * *

><p>"JJ! What's going on?" Reid cried finally as they slowed outside the station. It was dark, and the eerily quiet.<p>

Then a scream erupted from behind the doors and windows. A terrified, desprate scream. One that had no hope of seeing daylight again.

"A hunch." JJ said dramatically before running through the door with Reid tight on her heels.

Inside they found the normally clean and orderly police station a slight mess in the corner where the Night Guard's desk was. A lamp was turned on, but lay on the floor so it illuminated the paneled ceiling above them. Every now and then a hand or someother thing would flail infront of the light, reflecting a frightening shadow onto the ceiling as a sort of beacon warning whoever saw to stay away. The desk itself had been moved out of place, with little, bloody scratch marks clawing up and down the sides. The papers and pencil cup, not to mention laptop and coffee cup, had all been thrown to the ground. Where the papers lay in disarrangement and the pencils bathed in spilled coffee. The laptop was no more.

JJ tip toed to the desk kitty corner from the disheveled desk, and peered behind hers to look at the seen below. What she saw made her want to cry out, but scared her enough not to at the same time.

Two figures wresteled and writhed there on the ground, one a middle aged, plump man in a police man's uniform. Another a charred and burned little girl who screamed and hissed as he screamed and shouted for help.

Reid stared at the scene in horror, how he wished he wasn't here right now. He was fairly certain he could somewhat handle Lyssa in a more saner, healthier form. How was he to reason with her as a charred and bloodlust-driven corpse of a ghost?

From somwhere beyond, Reid was certain he heard a cackle. He inched closer to JJ.

"What do we do?" he whispered, hoping the two on the ground below them wouldn't hear.

"Well, I think we should get her _off_ him first. Here, you distract her and get her to run after you. I'll be ready to get her attention off you outside." and with that, Reid's blonde and ghostly friend ran out the door, leaving him to face the image of youthful insanity alone.

* * *

><p>Malifeciis was alot of things. Cruel, spiteful, meticulous, evil, even manipulating.<p>

But she was also old, and so she was getting weaker with age. And therefore breaking out without involving an all out explosion and possible chase was out of the question. She wanted to escape with enough time between her departure and their discovery of it that she'd be to far away for them to really do anything productive of it. She couldn't do that wiht the power she had 'd need help.

So help she got. She just had to play the peices right.

She was convined Lyssa would do anything for her, so she set her on the old Guard when he was alone. She was also convinced this would interfere with that foolish little seance those... special police men where holding with the White Witch.

She was also convinced of the consequences of dragging two fragments of Lyssa's shattered soul, one pure and good while the other the dark insanity that had consumed most of her, was bound to produce some show of fireworks.

And it did.

Now, how to escape.

"Lyssa my darling," she twittered to the dark and lonely hall, "chase our little Circus mouse into this hall for me."

* * *

><p>Reid stood around, trying to think of something to say. Lyssa was still wresteling with the poor Night Guard on the floor.<p>

"Your Witch is really ugly!" he called, fearing the consequences.

Nothing, Lyssa was still beating the man to a pulp. Maybe she agreed? Then it hit Reid.

"And so's your Mother!"

Lyssa stopped, mid raking of the Guard's face with her charred claws.

She turned to look at Reid, snarling with the half burned away face that made his stomach churn.

"Oh great." Reid whimpered, turning to run.

Lyssa paused, like she was listening to something far away, then ran after Reid.

Reid couldn't help but let out a terrified, and high pitched, shriek emit from his lips when Lyssa ran infront of the door, blocking one of his exits.

Reid made a hairpin turn, looking for another door.

_"Which one leads to a garage with police cars or something?"_ he thought, running around the room while Lyssa snarled after him.

He picked one truly at random. Probably because it was the one most infront of him when he'd turned. Maybe because, for some reason, it had emitted this vibe of escape.

But when he ran through, his insides dropped to his stomach as it gave a strangled cry of fear.

The Witch stood before him, smiling wickedly and holding out one hand.

"Time to start the show, eh Ringmaster?"

* * *

><p>JJ stood outside, waiting. She jumped at every shadow, every sound, every freaking car that drove past.<p>

Fianlly, she heard a shriek come from inside the station. She couldn't help but smile as she heard Reid scream. It was kinda cute.

Then she steeled herself, if he'd screamed that probably meant that he'd be leading Lyssa out here any moment now.

She just had to wait.

Finally, Lyssa ran out, her twisted, half destroyed face twisted and ripped into a fearsome snarl. She ran at JJ with an amazing speed.

But JJ didn't see Reid anywhere. As she ran, JJ feared the worst.

But she didn't run fast enough.

"NO!" JJ shrieked when Lyssa pinned her with surprising strength.

Lyssa wheezed and sighed in JJ's ear. Obviously trying to say something. But this version of Lyssa obviously had had her vocal cords burned or somehow else destroyed. She could just make weird sounds as she struggled to give the motions of her mouth sounds other than a wheeze or gasp as she breathed.

"Where's Reid?" JJ screamed despite herself.

Lyssa grinned wickedly and began dragging JJ by the ankle inside the station.

Maleficiis stood there, leaning over to stare at JJ when they entered the hall. She looked the blonde FBI agent up and down with meticulous eyes.

Then nodded, "I have the perfect place for you my puppet." she smiled.

"Where's Reid?" JJ snarled.

"Where else?" The Old Witch smiled, placing a withered hand on a crumpeled form JJ hadn't noticed.

Reid screamed at the touch. It was a painful, twisted scream.

_"Reid, dear gosh no! No! Dont let anything have happened to him! It'll have been all my fault!"_ JJ thought fearfully.

Reid continued to scream, but it was becoming hoarser, and airier. Like he wasn't sure why he was screaming, just he knew he should be.

Then the Witch nealed down, whispering to the collapsed Reid.

_"I need you Ringmaster. I want you in my Circus. The world is a joke box. And I it's master, with you as the tool to rule it all."_ Malifeciis whispered into the pained doctor's ear.

Reid breathed hard and furiously, not able to comprehed anything, not able to think or listen to what his brain was screaming at him.

What was going on? Where was he? Why was he screaming? What was wrong?

Who was he? Reid was just a name, but who was he? Where did he fit in the broken puzzle he was drowning in!

Nothing made sense! Reid felt like he was suffocating, like he was being spun around like a top only the thing spining him was sharp and was carving into him as he spun round and round, faster and faster!

Then, he felt it, something jolted. Something moved.

Something snapped.

JJ watched in horror as Reid raised his head, his eyes tormented and confused, glassy and misted over till they were pale. A small bit of spittle dribbled out of one corber of his mouth.

Then, to her utter, sickening horror, he breathed once, twice, and his head fell to one side. Then a twisted, sickening and painful grin slithered up his face. He began to giggle, timidly, like he wasn't sure.

Then he began to laugh! Loud, lung-filling laughs that boomed inside JJ's eardrums.

_"Oh no! Dear no! Please Someone help me! Reid! What's she done!"_ JJ thought, feeling her lower lip tremble in sickeningly agonizing fear.

Reid got to his feet, stumbling and falling against the bars, but he just laughed at the pain, the glorious pain!

"I'm r-ready to -haha!- go!" Reid laughed, looking up at the Witch with a crazed look.

The Witch smiled and nodded.

When the officers returned the next morning, they would find the Night Guard dead on the ground inside the station. A look of horror etched onto his ruined face. The station would be a slight mess by his desk.

And the Witch would be gone. With no sign of ever having been there.


	44. Short Way

Prentiss sighed as she sat down. She currently had a slash mark running across one cheek. Although she counted herself lucky. During the night while Ivona screamed and clawed at everything, herself, the others, the floor, she'd torn Morgan to peices. HE currently had ice and many, many bandages wrapped around him like tan snakes. Garcia was squirting antibiotics onto her finger and rubbing them into the nailmarks.

Ivona had screamed bloody murder last night, for hours. Everyone was afraid someone would hear and come to investigate, which would lead to awkward questions.

But then, out of the blue, Ivona stopped screaming. Her eyes shot open and she coughed violently, leaving drops of blood as she coughed. Then she turned to them, tears in her eyes.

"She's won!" But the team just looked confused. Then she explained what she'd seen. Well, almost.

She didn't reveal Reid's descent to madness. She kept that painful peice of information from his team, his family.

Orbus had been sitting in a chair in the corner all morning, staring at the carpet. Prentiss hoped it meant he had a plan. Maybe he had an answer for getting their friends back.

"Why did they leave anyway!" Rossi roared in frustration as he emerged from the bathroom, stripped of his embarrising sailor's outfit and back in fine silks and leather shoes

Ivona looked up, in a few hours she'd aged a few years. Her hair was a mess and Prentiss swore she saw some gray. She was also shaking rather hard.

"Because of me." She said feebly.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"I mean," she started again, going slightly red, "Im guessing one of them figured out that Lyssa was now in two places, and that the two peices of her were the her that was normal and sweet and good natured. The one here, and then the one consumed by dark magic. The one wherever they went. And that the two, being polar opposites so close together on the supernatural plane, were like magnets with both north ends pointing at eachother. They began to repel eachother. But that wasn't so easy since they both had something tying them here. One was tied here through a Seer who had let herself become possessed by her and literally caged her in to keep her from running away," Orbus looked up, fury tinting the edges in his face, "and another tied here to carry out the wishes of her dark master. They both began to repel eachother, and both couldn't get away. So they began to feel the pressure from the repeling action. And so did anyone who was tied to them in anyway." Ivona rubbed her temples.

"So what's going to happen to Reid and JJ?"

A look of concern spasamed across Ivona's face, "Im not sure. Look," she said, trying to calm the suddenly tense looks and mood, "I'll just find them again."

"That easy?" Morgan asked skeptically.

"Now that I know them. It'll be easier to recognize them." And with that the group, after changing into proper clothes, left Ivona's shop as she sunk into a chair, hands at her head as she began to search.

* * *

><p>The BAU headquarters was quiet as the team worked. Three hours later and they hadn't heard anything from Ivona.<p>

Garcia walked calmly into the Briefing Room, her laptop cradled in her open palms before being set down onto the wood table. She started typing and opening and closing windows. Most were about the Circus they were investingating, reports of weird activity all across the united states, and a manga she'd been reading during her lunch and coffee breaks to keep her mind off the whole tradgedy.

"Anything?" Prentiss asked sidling up to her.

"No." Garcia said shortly and kept typing.

"Really?"

"Yes. Im rather busy. Go away."

"Sheesh! Sorry Keyboard Princess." Prentiss said, throwing her hands up in defeat.

"First of all," Garcia slammed her hands down on the table and turned to stare at Prentiss, "It's CyberQueen! Second of all, Im trying okay! But when your friends mysteriously disapear into the supernatural unknown its rather hard to find a paper trail of where they went!"

"Sorry!" Prentiss cried scurrying away.

"Thank you." Garcia grumbled, turning back to her laptop. Then she looked around, trying to see if Orbus was anywhere before opening a window to a police report on the strange happenings of a Circus ringleader from the same time as the original Circus Of Dreams and well before that. She started skimming at once.

* * *

><p>After a late night, Hotch ordered everyone to return home for a few hours of sleep, everyone promising to call should they figure something out on their long drives home.<p>

While Prentiss drove down the street to her apartment, her cell phone began to vibrate. Flipping it open, she saw Ivona's number flashing across the screen while a picture of her friend smiled up at her.

"Hello?" Prentiss said, hitting the glowing green button.

"Em?" Ivona's voice sounded strained and on the verge of tears.

"Yes?" Prentiss asked, fearing the next sentence.

"I can't find them."

It took a moment for the words to sink in.

"What?"

"I can't find your friend Reid or the other one! I can trace the aura to the police station, but that's it! I can't find them! They're gone!"

"So theyre..."

"I dont know."

It was silent.

"It's your job to find them dangit!" Prentis screamed into the phone, nearly swerving into the car next to her she was so angry!

"I'm trying, but there's nothing to go on! The trails cold!"

"I dont care! Warm it up! Find them or so help me I will never speak to you again!" Prentiss knew it sounded childish but she could barely think straight. It sounded good enough to her.

It was silent on Ivona's end. Prentiss could only hear her own, angry breathing.

"I have an idea, but I'll need acess into the police station tommorow. And your team will need to be there." Then Ivona clicked off and Prentiss was holding her phone, listening to the dial tone.

* * *

><p>The police station wasn't to eager to see any of the BAU there again, especially in the company of a psycic, a magnet for weird supernatural things. Like the one that had killed their friend while he was on duty two nights ago.<p>

But Ivona decided to ignore it, choosing instead to direct the BAU team and Orbus towards the hall with the cells running up and down it.

"I can trace them to this spot," she pointed to a spot on the floor, "And then they just disapear. Now, if you'll look, this is the cell where Malifeciis was being held. So obviously she's had something to do with it. I think," Ivona flipped a leather bag slung on to her shoulder open, "If i try to contact someone in this spot, we'll get great reception."

The others stared at her.;

"What?" Orbus asked stupidly, "You remember what happened last time right? I doubt your face would survive another attack!" He pointed at the red scars from where Ivona had clawed herself.

Ivona shrugged her shoulders sheepishly, "From what I can tell things are getting desperate. This is the only way I know how to search for them on such short notice."

"And what would happen if we gave you more time?" Hotch asked to the exasperation of the others.

Ivona shrugged, "Atleast a year, maybe more. Either way, your friends would be to far gone considering its a Black Witch who deals in puppets there trapped by."

Everyone went silent.

"Very well, short way it is." And with that, she placed a white candle on the spot she'd indicated earlier, turned out the lights, and sat infront of the candle as she began to light it.


	45. Down The Rabbit Hole

The group sat in a circle, Orbus locking the door after informing the police chief no one was to come into the room until they'd come out for any reason.

Ivona closed her eyes slowly, then grabbed the hands of the two sitting next to her, Morgan and Rossi, who in turn grabbed the hands of the person next to them. All the way until everyone was holding eachother's hands.

"Don't expect to find anything." Ivona said in a strange, calm, voice. "Don't be afraid, and don't lose eachother. If one is lost to the darkness, they will be lost forever."

The group looked at eachother, Orbus stared hard into the candle's small, weak flame. Ivona smiled, "Well, I guess it's 'Down the Rabbit Hole' then."

Then Ivona began to speak in Latin, "Oh, qui custodiunt portas defuncti sint amici transit!" She took a shuddering breath, the candle's flame quivered, then grew larger. "Volunt enim tantum amicorum, qui ad amissam pretium tellus." The flame grew even larger as she kept talking. "Ecce cælum, et portae inferni aperta sunt ut arcu. Expleto itaque eos de munere!" The flames grew past the candle's area, spilling to the floor yet still burning. It burned in six different directions. One to each of the team and orbus. Garcia whimpered as her flame licked at her knees, which she was sitting on. Orbus held his jaw closed tightly, only able to remember what had happened the last time he was around fire.

Ivona opened her eyes, she grinned when she saw the flames by her friends, then she said the last part of the spell, "Ut pretium facie nigra flamma morte! et centum annos boare possit!"

The flame that remained on the candle exploded, and the team was temporarily blinded by the light before they fell to the floor, unconcious. They're hands still somehow clasped together.

* * *

><p>Prentiss awoke to a cold sensation running down her arm.<p>

She looked up and screamed when she saw a light blue, ghostly figure in a grim reaper's hood. It carried a bloodied spear in its one hand. The other was grasping Prentiss' arm.

"Morgan!" she screamed.

"Prentiss! It's okay!" Morgan suddenely appeared, he was holding her other hand and she was dragging her away from the hooded ghost.

"Where are we?" she asked breathless.

"I don't know." He said calmly, sitting her up.

Perntiss looked around, it was pitch black except for a wrought Iron gate that had an eerie blue glow to it. The hooded figure, and one that looked just like it, stood at attention buy it. Everywhere else, she saw the unconcious bodies of her friends.

"Why are only we awake?" She asked.

Morgan shook his head, "Give 'em a minute. I only just woke up before you."

And a minute later, Hotch and Orbus began to stir. Then Garcia and Rossi. When they all woke up, the gates started to open.

The ghost's looked at them expectantly, motioning for them to pass.

"Well," Orbus said, "Let's go guys."

And they passed through the gate into the black unknown.

* * *

><p>They'd walked in silence and darkness for a few minutes when fianlly Prentiss said, "Oh this is stupid! Rossi, do you still smoke cigars?"<p>

"I didn't bring my lighter with me."

"I have one." Garcia said, fumbling with her purse trying to find the clasp in the darkness. When she ignited it, she saw everyone looking at her in surprise.

"It was a present for Kevin, but I can buy him a new one after this is all over." Everyone nodded and they began walking again.

Orbus kept waiting for someone to ask about him in the spirit world before, and when Hotch sidled up to him, that's what he did.

"Orbus, when you were here before-"

"I can direct us around when we reach the Black witch's domain, but not here. The Circus is where I died, and where I woke up. I was never here." He indicated 'here' with his hands gesturing to the ground. Hotch nodded and fell back to the rest of the group.

* * *

><p>Eventually they walked so far, everyone was tired. They stopped for a break.<p>

Orbus sat on the ground, concentrating hard on his left shoe.

He shot up, "That's it!" he rushed over to Garcia, who was still holding the lighter. He snapped the lighter's lid shut.

"Why would you do that!" Garcia screamed.

"What the hell man?" Mrogan shouted venoumesly.

"Your gonna get us all k-"

"Shut up and listen you dolts!" Orbus screamed over Rossi, "Look!" he pointed to the glowing blue semicircle on the horizon.

"That's what we're looking for, and we almost missed it! This is my domain, my witch, and so therefore, it's best to listen to ME when something like this comes up!"]

The group stared at the orb in silence. Then started running to it.

Orbus rolled his eyes and chased after them.

* * *

><p>The orb, when reached by the now panting team of profilers and Orbus, turned out to be a deserted Circus.<p>

"This is where she lives in the after life?" Garcia asked later, whnen they were all walking calmly through the deserted Circus.

"Why not?" Orbus snorted.

"Well, she's a witch. Why not a castle or something?"

"She wanted a girl from the circus, then she killed the whole Circus with cursed flames. Sorry if the Circus got dragged in here with her." Orbus sneered at a flyer showing off a smiling witch and a cheery Lyssa.

"Where is everybody?" Hotch asked.

Orbus shrugged, "Mayeb being forced to preform? It is a ghost world, they don't exactly need sleep or anything." Hotch nodded, thinking it over.

Then they reached a large big top with music and animal noises coming from the inside.

"Should we?" Prentiss asked Morgan. Morgan just shrugged.

"Yes Emily, we should." Orbus nodded, and with that he opened the tent's flap. But when the rest of the team followed, they didn't see a crowd of people, they only saw a small girl sitting in a throne that took up a large chunk of one of the many stands there were, and an old gray witch sitting on the bench next to her.

In the center ring, the whole Circus was preforming.


	46. Would You?

They watched trapeze artisit, clowns, animal tamers and animals, and the knife thrower all at the same time.

Then they watched as, one by one, each erupted into smoke, reappearing as puppets in the high rafters of the tent, so high you had to look up and squint to see them. They're felsh and blood bodies turned to wood and mini cloth outfits.

The tent darkend, and a spotlight from no descirnable source snapped on. Bathing the Ringmaster in a solitary light.

Garcia gasped and tears pecked her eyes. She buried her head into Morgan's shoulder. Prentiss gritted her teeth and squeezed her fist hard.

Reid stood in the spotlight, fully decked out in Orbus' uniform, a look of insanity plastered to his face.

His hair had gray streaks in it, and he trembled slightly when he moved, like every action hurt.

"And now ladies and, well, older ladies," he giggled, his voice slightly raspy like he'd been screaming. "Please turn your attention to this ring, for a new addition in our Circus." A second spotlight snapped on, revealing a pretty woman dressed in an ice blue tutu. Her shiny blonde hair was pinned into a bun, blue glitter and star barrettes pinned into it. Her face was heavily ladden with makeup, most of it blue or glittered as she curtsied to Lyssa and Malifeciis. Lyssa gasped excitedly and clapped her hands together. The witch smiled a smile that was much closer to a sneer.

JJ then began to dance, in strange fluid motions as she danced a ballet no one had ever heard of.

"What are we gonna do?" Rossi whispered to Hotch, "They're _both_ part of this nuthouse now!"

"Everything we can." Hotch whispered. Then he tapped on Morgan's shoulder, "Lyssa tried to attack you when you wouldn't do what she wanted yes?" Morgan nodded, "So that means she's a threat too. Should she try to attack us we need to be ready."

"Wait a minute!" Orbus whispered louder than Hotch, creeping over to stand infront of him. "What is _that_ supposed to mean? You're willing to kill her?"

Hotch stared woodenly at Orbus, "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to bring my family home."

Orbus stood snarling in silence at Hotch for a few minutes. Then he just walked back to stand behind the rest of the group, fury rolling off him in waves.

The circus ended, and in a brilliant flash of purple smoke, JJ and Reid joined the puppets above.

The group dashed to hide behind one of the stands, trying to come up with a plan.

"We could just climb up their and cut them down."

"But what if they stayed that way?"

"We could wait until they preform again."

"But when will that be?"

"We could force that witch into changing them back."

"Oh yes, because that worked so well last time! Are you even trying Rossi?"

"Shutup! Both of you! Look!" Hotch pointed to the ring, and through the seats they could see the witch and Lyssa walking through, the Witch holding something shiny and small.

Prentiss felt Orbus tense next to her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Orbus only shook his head. He was clearly still mad at them.

"How are we going to get them?" Rossi asked Hotch, trying to start up another discussion of ideas.

"We'll just have to wait. That's when theyre human, so that's when we'll try to grab them." Hotch said with a sort of finality in his voice.

* * *

><p>The group sat there for hours, or what felt like hours. They couldn't really be sure, all theyre phones were dead and the watches they wore stopped moving. Although no one really noticed that until they tried to look at them.<p>

Somehow, the tent lights had stayed lit up, even though there was supposed to be no one inside. And somehow they'd move up, to the top of the tent so the puppets above were perfectly illuminated, casting shadows onto the ground. Garcia tried not to look. Tried not to cringe everytime she saw a puppet in long tails bump against another puppet.

Orbus kept looking around, hoping up to see every small shadow. Every sound got him slightly excited, and every voice made him look around to see who was speaking.

Prentiss nudged his back finally. When he turned to her he looked angry for a moment. Then she blinked and he looked calm.

"You realize even if you see her you can't speak to her right?"

Orbus eyed her, a sort of danger enering his eyes. Then he smiled defiantly, "Why not?"

Prentiss rolled her eyes, deciding against her better judgement to take the bait, "Because you'll get us all killed. She's insane here."

Orbus gave her a sneer, "So am I."

"But you wouldn't sacrifice us for a ten year old girl who would try to eat you like she tried to eat her own parents when the Witch told her to would you?"

Orbus was silent...

"Orbus!" Prentiss said desperatly.

Orbus looked around the corner, "What's that?" pointing to the Big Top tent flap.

And indeed, two shadows turned to two people entering the tent. One was the Black Witch, holding the small and shiny tight in her hand. The other was a small girl with a mad look to her eyes as she skipped ahead of the old woman, climbing the stands to a throne.

"Right, everyone, get ready." Hotch whispered to the group as they all pressed themselves close to the wood slats to watch the two.


	47. We Gotta Go!

**Okay, I think I've made theuntitled wait long enough. Sorry, my dad went overboard on his parenting skills and deemed computers satans spawn. So I could barely play a computer game i enjoyed, much less update. Oh, and parts of the next chapter might sound a little rushed, but it really picks up in this chapter.**

Lyssa situated herself in the throne, making sure she was comfortable before staring up into the top of the tent, nodding at the Ringleader puppet hanging by strings attached to the top of the tent. With a flash of smoke, he reappeared in the center ring, ready to preform another show.

Reid spun around once, steadying himself after suddenely being returned to human form. Then he turned towards Lyssa and the Witch and bowed.

Hotch watched through the slats, studying Reid's movements around the ring. Where he went, how long he stayed in a spot. Then he analyzed the ring itself. There was one corner on the other side of the tent that had been shrowded in shadow the whole time. It was large enough for two people to stand there and no one would notice them. It was also close to a side opening in the tent. It was the perfect escape route.

But it was the only corner in the darkness. The rest of the ground below was lit up like a stage.

Hotch turned to the others, waiting for them to stare at him with undivided attention.

"The one corner on the other side is dark enough we can drag Reid and JJ over and wrestle them out of the tent should they put up a fight. It's right next to a side door so we can book it out of there once we grab them."

"What about that small object the Black Witch had?" Orbus asked, "It's gotta be the last sane part of Lyssa's soul."

Hotch was silent.

"We are going to get it right?" Orbus asked dangerously.

"Orbus, we can come back. Right now we need to get the other two out of here."

"That's not fair!" Orbus snarled, "Lyssa's been tortured enough! We have to try."

"That fragment is right next to the Witch. You wouldn't get close!" Hotch reasoned desperatly. A fight, a break in the trust they needed, could finish them all before they'd even attempted a rescue.

Orbus stared at him angrily, but said nothing more.

"Okay, here's how we'll do it. When JJ comes on, Prentiss will run out with Rossi and create a distraction. Orbus and Garcia will run across to the corner and wait there to help us when we grab Reid and JJ. Morgan will grab Reid and I'll grab JJ. When we tell you to, that is when we've actually grabbed them, Rossi and Prentiss will run over and out the door."

Everyone nodded, Orbus rather reluctantly.

* * *

><p>Not long after, the group watched a puff of blue smoke and JJ appeared, begining to dance like she had earlier.<p>

Hotch prodded Prentiss gently in the back, "Now." He whispered.

Prentiss swallowed and ran out into the center ring.

"Hey ugly!" She cried, waving her arms and shouting at the top of her lungs, "Hey! You know what? We're not even gonna try to arrest you again! You obviously belong here with Crispy sitting next to you!"

_ZAAM!_ An electric blue bolt of energy flew at Prentiss. Rossi had just barely tackled her, saving her, when it exploded behind them in the dirt.

Reid gave a shout of confused surprise behind her. Morgan had just slammed his arm into Reid around the middle, clothesling him and knocking him off his feet so Hotch could drag him off. JJ went limp as a rag doll when Hotch did the same, alot more gently, to her. Behind them Orbus and Garcia ran across the ring. But the Witch only noticed Rossi and Prentiss as they got up and started taunting the Witch.

"Nice shot!" Prentiss spat, "If you were aiming for the ground! What was that? Reid shoots better than that!"

"Yeah, and if your so powerful, why not make yourself look atleast a hundred years younger? Then you'd atleast be considered elderly instead of a fossil! Maybe you'd get more preformers!"

More blue bolts of energy were fired, and were dodged by Prentiss and Rossi merely sidestepping them.

Garcia stood by Orbus, both waiting as Morgan and Hotch struggled to cross the large ring with a fighting Reid and a deadweight JJ. Both were hard to carry, Reid fighting his captor in crazed confusion and JJ just making herself heavy.

"They could probably work on their distraction methods huh?" Garcia said warmly to Orbus.

Orbus stayed silent. He seemed to be in deep concentration.

Finally, Hotch and Morgan dragged themselves over to him and Garcia.

"Here." Morgan said breathlessly to Orbus, "Help me carry him. Morgan had finally had to knock Reid out, not only for the safety of Morgan's face, but for Reid's safety as well. Or atleast, that's what Morgan claimed.

"Sure." Orbus said acidly, then threw a punch in Morgan's face.

Morgan, caught off guard, flew back from the force of the impact, cracking his head painfully on the ground. The unconcious Reid fell to the ground, his body limp like a ragdoll.

"HEY!" Hotch cried, as Morgan struggled to get up.

"Shut it old man." Orbus spat, aiming a kick to Hotch's gut. JJ fell to the ground, Hotch not far behind, wheezing for air.

"What are you doing?" Garcia cried terrified.

"Hush." Orbus shushed as he grabbed JJ and Reid's wrist and dragged them back into the spotlight of the center ring.

"WITCH!" Orbus screamed, tearing Malifeciis attention away from Prentiss and Rossi, who also turned to look.

Orbus stood at the edge of the Ring, hands in the air.

"Did you really think I'd leave you?" He cried. "I've brought you an exchange! You like puppets don't you? Well, Ive brought you FIVE more! The other three are hidden in the shadows over there!"

"What are you doing?" Prentiss screamed.

Orbus ignored her, "You know what I want. Give it to me and they're your's!" And without waiting for the Black Witch's answer, he sprinted at an incredible speed up the stands and stood infront of her, snatching it out of her hand.

The Witch smiled at Lyssa in the throne, who grew a hungry look in her eyes and turned to stare at Prentiss.

Prentiss felt herself go cold, but she still kept screaming at Orbus, "What are you doing? We had a plan! I thought you weren't loyal to her!"

Rossi grabbed her arm and yanked her back, "We gotta go!"

Prentiss looked back to see Hotch and Morgan both lifting the unconcious Reid, Morgan's nose a little bloody and the bridge just a little dented. Garcia was grabbing JJ under the arms and Rossi ran over to help her. Prentiss ran after them, watching fearfully as Lyssa began to descend the steps more like an animal then a human.

Orbus walked down the otherside of the steps, turning the shiny object over in his hands with a look of triumph plastered to his face.

Prentiss let the tent flap fall and she ran after the rest, but slower. Taking in the area around them.

"Prentiss come on!" Hotch screamed.

Prentiss jogged off the path, grabbing a wood plank from an abandoned booth and sprinting to catch up. Looking back, she could see Lyssa running out of the tent, her skinned burned black and her hair no more than charred sticks. A faint bubbling of laughter could be heard and it snaked around the scene, crawling up Prentiss' spine.

"Faster!" She screamed, the fear overcoming her.

"We're trying!" Garcia called out.

Suddenely something crashed near a booth next to them. Garcia and Prentiss couldn't help it as a scream was ripped from their throats.

"Where are we going?" Prentiss asked.

Hotch stopped suddenely, almost sending Morgan to the ground again since they both were carying Reid.

"I forgot that problem." It was the last thing any of them wanted to hear him say.

Lyssa's laughter was closer, she was only a few yards away and closing in fast!

"Let's hide!" Garcia pleaded, whimpering and tearing up despite herslef. Lyssa was getting closer.

"Good! Go!" Hotch cried, gaining a new grip on Reid and running off the path. There was only one place to hide that was close enough to them at this point:

The Hall of Mirrors.

Behind them, Lyssa got closer and closer, her laughter turning to demonic howls as she closed in, twenty feet, ten feet, five feet, her charred hands reaching out to grab the back of Garcia's green yarn shawl, fingers barely touching the fibers-

WHAM! Prentiss creamed the psycotic, burned creature with her wooden plank. Lyssa fell backwards, shaking her head like she was clearing it. Then she looked up at the startled Prentiss and snarled, lunging at her, clawed hands out-

WHAM! Prentiss hit her again, this time running after watching Lyssa connect with the ground. But Lyssa got up, just as quickly. Prentiss shrieked and ran faster.

"Come on!" Morgan screamed, holding the Hall's side door open and beckoning her towards him.

Prentiss ran though, and Morgan slammed the door shut.

But just as soon as he'd closed it, the door he was struggling to hold closed started rocking and shaking and it seemed the door was going to be ripped off it's hinges. Lyssa shrieked and pounded on the door and yelled curses at them.

"Gimmie that!" Morgan yelled, pointing at Prentiss' wood plank. Prentiss handed to him, and Morgan stuck it through the handle. Causing the plank to keep the door closed by holiding on to the wall on the sides of the door. Lyssa kept screaming and pulling on the door. But eventually the sounds died away.

Morgan sighed deeply, sinking to the floor.

"Thank Gosh." He breathed, leaning his head agains the wall.

Garcia looked around the dark, mirrored hallways.

"Now what?" she asked.


	48. Flashback 3: Choking

**So... yeah... intense, fast, and an added turn last chapter...**

**YOUR WELCOME! :p**

Hotch looked around. The mirrored halls were incredibly dark, and he could only see a few feet out in each direction. But he heard whispers coming from all around them.

Garcia curled up next to the unconcious Reid, cradiling his head in her lap while looking over her shoulder every once in awhile to see if she could see the things whispering in the darkness.

Morgan still sat against the wall, and Prentiss joined him, still shaking from her encounter with Lyssa.

Rossi took off his coat and made a makeshift pillow to put under JJ's head.

Hotch guessed they were safe... for now.

* * *

><p>JJ felt like she was floating... real but unreal at the same time. Was she dreaming? Was it possible to fall asleep in the spirit world? It must, she reasoned, Reid did.<p>

_When he was under the control of Malifeciis _A voice hissed in the fuzzy, sleeping part of her mind somewhere.

_So did I lose? Did we all lose? Did she win and take us all over?_ JJ didn't like these thoughts pestering her while she tried to sleep. She tried to push them away, but they kept coming back, like snakes they hissed thoughts in her ears.

_Where's Reid? Where's Lyssa? Where's Orbus? Where's the team? Where's Henry? Where's Will?_

_Why are you asleep? You should be helping Reid and Ivona return you to the spirit world. Can you even really sleep? Your a spirit. Are you dead... permanently?_

_WAKE UP!_

The last one screamed at her. JJ shook her head, _wake up wake up wake up wake up!_

JJ jerked awake, coughing like she'd been holding her breath and her lungs only just now remembered they needed air.

"JJ?" someone asked above her. They sounded worried.

JJ kept coughing, it felt like dust and particles had built up in her lungs and throat. She couldnt talk, couldnt breathe, couldnt stop coughing!

She felt someone pick her up and lay her over there knee. They started hitting her back.

JJ finally felt someoff the blockage let up, and air rushed into her grateful lungs.

"Kuu-uhh! UHH!"

"JJ?" JJ's eyes were bleary, but through the tears she made out the figure of Rossi crouching infront of her, looking concerned, Morgan had her across his leg while he hit her in the back with rythmic blows from the heel of his hand.

JJ coughed once more, then took a deep, rushed breathe, throwing her arms around to get Morgans attention to stop.

"Stop! Stop! Let her breathe." Rossi directed, helping Morgan manuver her into a sitting position on the floor.

JJ sat there, her head fuzzy and confused. She felt dazed and dehydrated. Waves of nausea rolled over her.

"Wh-what happened?" She rasped.

"You tell us." Morgan said, "You and Reid disapeared the night of the seance.

Reid? Reid!

"Where's Reid?" JJ asked.

"Oh, he's unconcious. Garcia's watching him." Morgan gestured behind him. "JJ, waht happened? You were coughing up-"

"No! No! Get her away from him!" JJ cried frantically, adrenaline giving her strength to look around the room.

"JJ!" Morgan was pinning her arms to her sides, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Reid's insane! He tried to kill me! That witch! Thing! They tortured him! He can't be trusted! He doesn't even recognize me anymore!"

"What do you mean? JJ what's going on here? You two disapear, then we find you preforming in this... Circus for Ghosts or whatever, then you literally cough up a bucket of dirt!"

"That's not impor- What?" JJ asked stunned. That wasn't dust?

Morgan pointed to the floor behind him. A pile of moist dirt sat there, untouched.

The dirt brought on a flash of memories. Horrid memorys, memorys JJ wanted to forget!

So JJ told them to her friends instead.

* * *

><p><strong>(Sometime after chapter 43, but long before chapter 45)<strong>

JJ felt like she was suffocating. The Witch had waved her hand over JJ's face, and JJ had literally fallen into darkness.

She couldn't scream, couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything! Just lay still as she fell for what felt like forever!

_Someone! Anyone! Help me!_

Then, as suddenely as it had started, She felt herself hit the hard ground. But instead of a sickening crack, or her body splatting, she just bounced alittle and was still.

_What's happening?_

The ground was cold, and when JJ opened her eyes, she was surrounded by mirrors!

_Oh not this again!_

But it was. The room where Lyssa had tried to attack her, where she'd seen a ghostly woman appear in the mirror, where Reid had saved her by smashing the glass...

_Except he's not coming now..._

JJ could only sit up and look around. All the mirrors looked like they were in perfect condition. No cracks or signs of repair.

And no ghosts gliding across the glass either.

But there was a burned and mangled corpse sitting crumpled in the corner of the room. A corpse that was looking at her with peircing, bloodthirsty eyes and a cruel, toothy smile on it's lips.

"No. No! NO! STOP!" JJ screamed as it started to crawl on burned hands and knees towards her. "STOP! GETAWAY!" JJ started crab-walking backwards, fast as she could. Trying to get away from Lyssa. Faster, faster, she might actually be able to get away from-

_WHAM!_ JJ hit the mirrored wall, cracking her head. Through the pained tears she saw the burned corpse getting closer.

"AHH!" JJ screamed, ghostly arms shooting out from the mirror when she tried to run and pinned her to the glass! "NO! SOMEONE! HELP ME! REID!" She screamed.

Lyssa pounced on her and threw her to the floor, keeping one hand on JJ's throat. Then she sat ontop of JJ and placed her other hand around her throat like the first. Then she began to press into JJ's throat, cutting off JJ's airway.

JJ choked, sputtering and gasping as she was suffocated.

_No! Not like this!_ Was her only thought as she gave into the fear that she was truly about to die.

Then, probably in her oxygen-starved delerium, JJ could have sworn Lyssa's insane, burned face turned to the un-scarred face of one of her best friends and team mate.

To her, it looked like Reid, in crazed delerium, was trying to choke out her life.

And then the black edges of her vision consumed her sight, and JJ was gone. The last thing she heard was a nervous giggle.

The next thing JJ knew, it felt like she was spinning around, cold air hugging her arms as she felt them move around as she spun and jumped around in a large tent, under a blue spotlight.

It felt unreal, like a dream.

So JJ assumed she was dreaming, and she felt herself pulled into the deep recesses of her brain as unconciousness reclaimed her and she knew nothing else.


	49. Where is it!

Morgan stared, not sure what to make of JJ's story.

"He... couldn't have... could he?" He asked aloud, unsure.

"He did!" JJ insisted angrily.

"Are you sure? She was choking you. Maybe you started seeing things." Rossi tried.

"NO! It was him!" JJ pointed at the sleeping Reid. Garcia was looking down concerned at him. Did she have a possible killer laying on her?

Reid mumbled something in his sleep. He looked decades older, strands of his hair even turned silver. He'd paled, and added lines were etched into his face. He looked sick if anything.

JJ looked at him with a mixture of fear and disdain, not wanting to be near him, but not wanting anyone else near him either.

"If what you're saying is true-" Rossi started.

"Then Reid's a danger to himself and us." JJ finished for him.

"Then what'll we do?" Morgan asked. Would they lose him after trying to search for him for so long Or was JJ just mistaken? After the theatrics and craziness of the past few weeks Morgan didn't want to take anymore chances.

"Simple," Hotch said, voicing what everyone else didn't want to say, "We wait for him to wake up." And with that, Hotch removed his belt and slipped it around Reid's ankles.

* * *

><p>After convincing Rossi to part with his belt and securing Reid's wrists with it, Morgan picked Reid up and everyone began making there way down the hall.<p>

It was much the same as the last time they were here: cold, eerie, and a strange glow emitted from the mirrors lighting them up, but nothing else so it was hard to see to far ahead.

Prentiss watched the mirrors from the corner of her eye carefully, waiting for a glimpse of another weird figure gliding across their glass...

JJ felt an odd sensation, like she'd been here before. Not just in the hall, but here, here. In the spirit part of the hall before.

The whole group walked, not noticing the thing trailing after them...

* * *

><p>Orbus was a special case...<p>

Everyone said it. His parents, teachers, counselors, and a few therapists trying to make the best out of recounting their experience with him.

Even when he was little, David Orbus acted in ways that left people wondering. He was calculating, charismatic, and clever.

But he was also insane.

This deadly combination often made it impossible for him to get people to do more than meet his selfish needs. Whatever he wanted, he could get. And only by charming the right people. Now he had what he wanted, and he felt great. Except for an irritating buzzing in the back of his head that he couldnt rid himself of. Whenever he swatted at the back of his head, he only felt soft brown hair. Nothing to make the back of his head feel so irritated.

Like, he told himself as he ran down the hallway, how he'd charmed the Black Witch into letting him live all those years ago. Or how, he reminded the nagging in the back of his head, he'd played Morgan into letting him in so he could find Lyssa. Or, he reminiced, charmig the enitre team to trust him and take him with them when they enetered the spirit world.

Now he had what he'd longed to regain after all those years: Lyssa's sanity. Just knowing he held the little girl's psychie in the palm of his hand was very humbling. And empowering. Now all he had to do was locate the door out and he could live in a new body, finding one for Lyssa later on. When he'd gotten far enough away Reid's friends couldn't touch him.

* * *

><p>Morgan had been carrying the unconcious Reid for what felt like hours. He was tired, and he didn't want to go any farther. He rathered they just take a short break. Let him put down the young FBI agent and breathe. It felt as if they'd been running since they entered the spirit world. Running from the darkness, running from Malifeciis and Lyssa, running from Orbus...<p>

How could he have let Orbus play him like that. Sure he held no loyalties to the Black Witch, but it didn't end there. He held no loyalties period!

Morgan grumbled, pushing the angry thoughts down as he realized he was gripping into Reid's side with his fingernails.

JJ had to give him a comforting smile, although he didn't see it as she was a few steps behind him. She knew how he felt; angry and confused. While she couldn't be sure that it really had been Reid who'd choked her into unconciousness when she'd arrived here, she didn't want to take any chances and let him near her again. Instead she hugged the mirrors, walking close enough she accidentally brushed the cold glass every now and then.

Hotch, sidling up to her, tried to act casual. It felt weird having JJ here, with all the insanity that had taken place the last few days. Everyone was so sure they'd lost her and Reid both, and now Hotch was walking next to her down a hallway he never wanted to walk down again.

"So," Hotch started.

"No, I have no idea why Im in a blue tutu." JJ smiled to Hotch, the glowing light catchting her glitter so she sparkled like a disco ball everytime she moved.

"Oh, you were a ballerina." Hotch answered absently.

"Oh," JJ answered awkwardly, "Atleast I was pretty then."

Hotch smiled.

* * *

><p>Orbus ran down a mirrored hallway. His eyes scanned the glass mirrors. Where was it? It had to be close by. He was not gonna have entered this death trap for nothing!<p>

Orbus stopped when he came to a part of the maze that opened up to a circular room-like dead end. He carefully brushed each mirror with the tips of his fingers. They all stayed where they were. Nothing moved.

Where was it?

**Intrigued? Confused? Great! Leave a Review! =^-^=**


	50. Help Me

Morgan hated carrying Reid.

No, that was mean... besides, it wasn't even the right message.

He really hated carrying Reid. There, that said it all.

Reid moved in his sleep, and right now he was jerking around and twisting himself so he was hard to hold on to. It was like trying to hold a squirming toddler when what they really wanted was to get down and run away from you.

"Reid... knock it off!" Morgan snarled. He knew Reid couldn't hear him, but it helped somehow to say it aloud.

"Ugghh!" came a groogy sound from near where Reid's head was.

"Stop it!" Morgan hissed as Reid jerked again.

"HEY!" something squealed. Reid started kicking his legs.

"Oh crap." Morgan groaned. Reid was awake, and he wanted down. "Hey guys!" Morgan called out to his teammates, who were a few steps ahead now.

Everyone turned to see a thrashing Reid and Morgan fighting to keep from dropping him.

"That, is not good." Rossi remarked unhelpfully.

"Thank you Einstein, now help me!" Morgan snarled. Reid had found Morgan's side with his legs and was now kicking violently.

JJ stayed a few feet back, eyeing Reid rather fearfully.

Reid finally got in a lucky kick to Morgan's funny bone. Morgans whole upperarm went numb and Morgan lost his grip from the shock of the sudden pain in his arm. He dropped Reid to the floor where he cracked his head rather painfully. Reid didn't seem to have noticed however, instead he began throwing his legs around. But since they were bound by a belt he just thrashed them around uselessly.

"Lemme go!" he screamed.

"What do we do?" Prentiss asked, "It's not like we can pick him up or anything."

"Maybe we should let him go." Hotch suggested halfheartedly.

The rest of the group turned to look at him.

"JJ snapped out of it when we grabbed her."

"I woke up on my own though." JJ pointed out, "And that was hard. I dont think Reid can do it in the state I've seen him in."

"Come on," Morgan sighed, "The whole insanity thing must just be part of what the Witch forced her under. He's probably fine."

"Guys, he's not breathing!" Garcia cried pointing to Reid's face. It was true, his skin was slowly turning blue.

Without a sound Rossi swooped down on him, fighting to open his mouth. When he did he turned Reid on his side and started punching his back.

The rest of the team cringed in disgust as dirt clods began to fall out of his mouth. Reid coughed painfully once, twice, then colapsed onto the concrete floor shaking.

"Why is his black?" JJ asked. She'd slowly crept closer and closer to the group, now she was hiding behind Morgan.

"What?" someone asked.

"Why's his dirt black and mine was brown? If we were taken at the same time-"

"Guys, I smell smoke!" Morgan exclaimed suddenely.

Everyone looked around quickly, expecting smoke to come plowing down one of the many hallway's that surrounded them. But there was nothing.

"We should find the exit, quickly. If there's a fire we'll die of carbon monoxide poisoning soon." Hotch said worriedly.

How would they move Reid?

* * *

><p>Orbus ran down a halllway, then another, and another. Finally he stopped to catch his breath. For some reason his back hurt in different places. Like he'd been beaten or something. What had happened to this Reid kid?<p>

* * *

><p>After much debate the team had finally decided to drag Reid by his feet until he woke up. And to keep him from kicking the dragger, Morgan had parted with his belt to make a sort of leash that the wrapped around Hotch's. Garcia and Prentiss walked behind Reid. Partly to make sure that he didn't hit anything or veer to far to one side, and partly to tell everyone if he started coughing or choking again. JJ stayed at the front, leading the way for a little while. She felt safer with Morgan and Hotch inbetween her and Reid.<p>

They walked for a little ways more, turning this way and that, when JJ stopped.

"I've been here before."

"We all have. Remember when we got a SWAT team to tear through here?" Morgan asked, happy to stop dragging Reid for a few minutes.

"No I mean this part of _this_ hall. The one with _them_ in it." JJ said. She leaped over to one of the mirrors and started pressing on them, trying to get one to move.

* * *

><p>Orbus was about to give up. Patience, tenacity, and his shoes, were all were wearing thin. The only thing that kept his legs moving was the little shard clutched carefully in his fist.<p>

Orbus turned down another hall, just like the one he'd left. Orbus groaned, this was pointless!

"-he one with _them_ in it." Someone said down the next hallway. Orbus stopped and pressed himself against the glass, carefully looking around the corner.

No way! How did _they_ get this far? He was sure the insane part of Lyssa had eaten them! new waves of guilt flowed over him as he watched JJ press different mirrors, looking for what he was probably.

But he'd get to it first. He had to.

He stayed until JJ had pressed all the mirrors, then he ran down the hallway, dragging his hand against the mirrors he ran past.

* * *

><p>JJ turned to the group, frustration obvious in her eyes.<p>

"I _know_ I've been here. I'm not crazy!" she exclaimed.

"We know JJ, dont worry." Prentiss said kindly. JJ shook her head and then headed down another hall.

'This really does look familiar.' She thought.

* * *

><p>Awhiles later, JJ found a circular dead end. Some of the mirrors were more clouded over than others. The shadows running along the mirrors were alot more obvious.<p>

"This... this has gotta be it!" JJ exclaimed. She ran for the cloudiest one.

"Not. So. Fast." Orbus said dangerously from behind the group. He leapt past ab unsuspecting Hotch and plowed into JJ.

"Orbus!" Morgan snarled and tackled them both. A fierce fist fight insued on top of the poor blue ballerina.

* * *

><p>"Have you found them yet?" Malifeciis asked impatiently.<p>

Like a bloodhound Lyssa sniffed the ground as they walked, well, Malifeciis walked. Lyssa crawled on her hands and knees so she could sniff the ground.

Lyssa barked and pointed her head in their target's direction.

"Good girl." Malifeciis crooned. Lyssa smiled and then got back up on her feet as she ran in her prey's direction.

* * *

><p>Morgan finally got a lucky shot in when he socked Orbus' jaw and temporarily stunned him. JJ crawled fearfully out from under him. She ran to Hotch, trembling as he pushed her behind him protectively.<p>

Morgan propped Orbus up on a mirror, "What the hell are you doing?" he screamed.

Orbus smiled, blood dribbling from his lip, "I've come this far, I'm not losing my chance." and with that he leaned back, melting into the mirror. Morgan grabbed the collar of his jacket.

"Oh no you dont." But instead he was pulled into the mirror with him.

"Morgan!" Prentiss cried, grabbing his shirt and pulling him back. But to no avail, she started going the same way he was.

"Help!" she squeaked.

"Bit late for that isn't it?" Malifeciis smiled as she walked in on them.

"Oh come on!" Prentiss cried as Morgan's head disapeared through the mirror.

"Emily let go!" JJ cried as she pulled her off of Morgan's shirt. With nothing pulling on him, Morgan flew through the mirror with Orbus, no one could see where they'd gone.

* * *

><p>Orbus tumbled out of the mirror, into the real world.<p>

"Yes!" He cackled, "Lyssa! We made it!" He said to his open... and empty hand!

Morgan tumbled through the mirror hearing cries of anguish and in the next second he was pushed away from the mirror as Orbus began pounding on it, trying to go through it again.

"Why... can't... I... DO IT?" Orbus cried frustratedly as he started hitting the glass harder.

Morgan was in a daze, he saw three of everything and the sounds had a strange fluid quality to them. He shook his head once, twice, a few more times so he could understand why Reid was hitting the mirror.

Wait... that was Orbus!

"Why?" Orbus screamed again.

"Because your human." Morgan coughed.

Orbus turned to look at him, "What?"

"Your in Reid's body stupid! Reid's a ghost."

"But I could do it before!"

Morgan swallowed, he was totally screwballing it, "Well, he was... asleep. Yeah, he was asleep before. Now that he's awake, he has all your ghost abilities." That made sense... right?

Orbus eyed him suspiciously. It did make sense, but how could _he_ of all people figure something like that out?

"Help me." Orbus demanded flatly.

"Hell no." Morgan snarled.

"Then, dear Morgan, your friends are truly lost to the savage maw of the Black Witch."


	51. Rolling Closer and Closer

***Puts hands up defensively* Before you kill me for leaving this story hanging for so long... I'm truly sorry! Real life... and my growing pile of manga, fanfic stories i've been following, and anime to get through :D**

**Anyway, this story must be over soon anyway (its 51 freaking chapters!)! So i needed a few "moments" to figure out how im gonna tie up some of the few loose ends i hadn't already figured out.**

**Anyway, Sorry, here it is, please enjoy *bows and exits the room***

Reid was in a daze. He felt like he was staring through a cracked window. Only pieces of the image made sense in some parts, but not in others.

His throat was dry, like he'd been in the hot sun and finally overheated. His nose was filled with smoke, and his eyes stung.

What was worse, he couldn't move! His limbs weren't listening to his brain!

Looking around, he could see that witch standing infront of his friends, and all his friends were holding their heads like they had massive headaches. Something in his brain found this funny because suddenely he let out a dry cackle.

Lyssa, the girl he'd preformed for so many times with JJ, crouched on her hands and knees near Reid's head. She was sniffing him with a questioning look.

"Uncle Orbus?" she whispered. The insane light in her eyes had grown dimmer in her eyes. She leaned closer and started sniffing Reid. That same disconnected part of Reid also found this funny and Reid began to giggle. Reid's face hurt from the twisted smile he'd had forcibly plastered to his face for what felt like forever.

Reid blinked a few times, what was she talking about?

Lyssa looked like she was just about to say something when she jerked her head towards a mirror near where they were. It actually moved! Reid was intrigued for some reason. The mirror shook and the silohuette of two fists appeared through the mist continually, over and over as whoever they belonged to kept banging on the glass.

Near the floor, something shiny caught Reid's cracked and confused attention. A tiny shard the color of purple glass shined on the concrete floor next to the mirror. Reid remembered a piece of the past events that had transpired only moments before; Orbus and Morgan against the mirror, and then gone. Had they been fighting before or after? Must have been before since he couldn't see them after they'd disapeared into the mirror. This must have been what they were fighitng about, Reid decided. Why else would such great friends fight?

Reid felt another giggle rip through his dry throat.

Reid tried to move over to get it, but then he remembered he couldn't move.

But Lyssa could. She crawled on her knees over to the shard of glass and picked it up.

"Ooh, Uncle Orbus what's this?" she asked, wide eyed.

Reid stared at her absently.

"Oh that's right, you wont play when I wrap you up like a present." Lyssa giggled and bent down to loosen Reid's belt bindings.

* * *

><p>Orbus was desperate. He'd been so close... He'd played every card he'd ever held.<p>

And now it had all gone up in smoke...

... all because a certain agent had to get his just deserts! Orbus thought savagely as he rounded on Morgan.

"You... Ruined... EVERYTHING!" he screamed as he started hitting Morgan.

"Dude... DUDE!" Morgan was screaming, trying to fend himself from Orbus' attacks. How childish could this guy get?

* * *

><p>Reid stretched and rotated his aching wrists. He didn't know how long the circulation had been cut off but it had been long enough to cause alot of pain when he tried to stretch.<p>

"Okay, can we play another game Uncle Orbus? I wanna play Doctor now!" Lyssa giggled. She didn't look burned or scarred like she had before. She looked like a normal, healthy girl.

"But I thought you liked playing Circus." Reid muttered, looking around for the purple glass he'd seen earlier.

"I'm bored. And besides, Mommy and Daddy aren't back yet. I wanna play a new game so they have to come out. They always do when I decide to change games."

The purple shard... where was it? Reid didn't see it anywhere. And what was all this talk of games? Why was Lyssa even here.

Reid looked up and saw Malifeciis still torturing those people over there.

Wait... those people where his teammates- wait that was the wrong word... Companions? Associates?

Reid sat in deep thought as Lyssa kept blathering away on how she wanted to switch games.

"HEY! Uncle Orbus are you listening?" Lyssa called.

Called so loud, Malifeciis turned around on the spot, a murderous look on her face. She snarled and began inching closer to the two.

Lyssa whimpered and hugged Reid, "Uncle Orbus, she's still scary! I don't wanna play anymore!"

Reid was dragged out of his deep thought when Lyssa hugged him, and he finally noticed Malifeciis coming closer and closer. A murderous look on her face as she raised a clawed hand at the two. Lyssa whimpered below his head and Reid felt himself lower a protective arm over her. Reid let out his own whimper of fear, but for a different reason. Pieces of his fragmented memory had coming slashing through his mind so he'd have no choice but to stare at them.

The look on Malifeciis face... the forced circus performances... the painful adventures through the spirit world... that weird field where he'd been forced to sleep... flashing in and out of conciousness, between that field and this hall where he watched his friends get attacked... that awful night a year ago when he thought he was burned alive and then pulled through a mirror by a deranged corpse!

Reid had only one instinct screaming at him, and only one thought screaming out of him:

"GO AWAY!"

And with that there was a magnificent explosion, the whole hall felt like it was being ripped apart. Shards of glass flew everywhere in all different directions. There was fire everywhere and soon he and Lyssa, who was still latched onto him, were coughing heavily.

They weren't in a maze. They were in a tent! A flaming tent!

Lyssa started crying into Reid's shirt. Then screamed and jumped back when she saw Reid was on fire!

Reid didn't feel it at first, he only noticed when Lyssa screamed. His circus longtails were getting licked by flames. And then suddenelly, they were aflame! They sprinted up Reid's body, engulfing his whole body in fire!

Reid screamed from the pain as the fire raged across his body. Then he heard something. It was barely audible over the cracking and screaming of the fire raging on and around him, but when he looked he saw it was Lyssa screaming. She was on fire too!

"Lyssa!" Reid screamed, but it came out alot softer than he meant. He could barely breathe in this fire!

"Uncle Or- SPENCER!" Lyssa screamed, clutching her head as she collapsed from pain. Reid tried to reach her, but soon collapsed from smoke inhalation. He could barely sense Lyssa crawling over to him, clawing through smoldering dirt and burning scarps of cloth falling from the two.

"Sp-en-cer." Lyssa choked, clutching his hand and looking at him with fearful eyes as the fire danced across his crumpeled form.

* * *

><p>Morgan hadn't realized he was screaming until Orbus had clapped a hand over his mouth. All he'd registered was that Reid and Lyssa had ignited the second Reid had screamed at Malifeciis, who was now backing away from the two as the rest of his team watched in horror. Morgan was busy fighting Orbus, who also looked pale and slightly sick.<p>

"Le'ggo man!" Morgan struggled through the Circus Master's hand. Morgan finally threw an elbow and broke free. Orbus rubbed his abs painfully as Morgan pressed himself back to the window, just in time to see the Black Witch utter a sharp cry and lunge forward at the two burning people.

* * *

><p>"Lyssa?" Reid asked, clutching the poor girls hand as the collapsed again next to him. The pain of the fire had overloaded Reid's sense, yet somehow he was still alive.<p>

_"I'm scared..."_ Lyssa said suddenely in a small, tiny voice that made her appear much more fragile to Reid than he'd precieved her to be.

"It's okay." Reid said unhelpfully.

_"She's gonna get me!"_ Lyssa whimpered, begin to tremble violently.

Something in Reid's dazed and confused mind something clicked and Reid felt himself grasp Lyssa's small arms and force her to look up at him with glassy misted over eyes.

"Where are you?" He asked.

"I'm in my tent like mommy and daddy told me to be." This brought fresh tears to the little girls eyes.

"Who was the last person you saw."

"Uncle Orbu- the Witch!" Lyssa snapped, "She was watching me through the rip in my wall!" Lyssa pointed to a rip in the burning tents wall where a pair of old, cracked, yellow eyes was watching them, laughing horribly. Lyssa shuddered.

"Where's the shard?" Reid asked suddenely, watching the eyes trail down from his face towards somewhere on the ground. Then the eyes did something that made Reid's skin crawl: they started moving down the tent, two eyeballs tumbled from the rip, down the wall of the tent, and started to roll across the floor. A hissing in the background was becoming more and more audible in the back of Reid's ears.

"Lyssa where's the Shard?" Reid cried apprehensivly.

"Uncle Orbus?" Lyssa said confusedly, she was looking dehydrated and she was unsteady just sitting up the slight amount she'd struggled to. Reid looked down at her, and she blinked quickly, "Uncle Orbus? Why are you in my tent?"

"I'm Reid." Reid said, confused.

_"I'm scared." _something whispered again.

* * *

><p><em>"She's gonna eat me!"<em> The coloumn of fire that was Reid and Lyssa hissed. Morgan could just make out something purple among the flames.

Garcia had been up against the wall, as the pain had receded from her head she'd begun crying, seeing Reid and Lyssa in their state. Now she was wailing as she saw Maleficiis clawing onto their heads, engulfing herself in the flames. At first the hag had shrieked horribly on contact with the two, but now she was cackling, like she was winning.

Orbus banged a little harder on the glass, resuming his pointless task of beating the mirror in some last desperate hope to reach his surrogate neice and the owner of his stolen body.

_"I'm scared!"_

_"She's gonna eat me!"_

_"I want my mommy!"_ The flames hissed at everyone.

* * *

><p>Reid looked down at his hand, where a shard of what looked like purple glass was whispering it's fears to the flaming Reid.<p>

_"I'm scared!"_ He heard a mini version of Lyssa say as the real Lyssa sat on her heels staring at Reid confusedly. Then she got a weird grin as the eyes got closer... and closer...

"Your that puppet!" she grinned. "And your... holding..." the confused expression returned, "Me?"

Reid looked from the shard in his hand to the small girl infront of him, to the eyes that rolled ever closer... and closer...

"Yes. Do you... want you?" Reid tried, his dazed and fried brain whirred, looking for any means of escape from the eyes that kept rolling closer... and closer...

"I want my mommy." Lyssa said, tears springing into action as she stared at the shard.

Closer... closer...

"I bet we could find her." Reid smiled, not realizing how tired he was until he'd cocked his head to the side as he turned on his charm.

Lyssa wiped her eyes with a flaming arm.

"Do you wanna find her?" Reid asked, holding a charred hand out to the little girl.

Lyssa nodded, taking the hand.

The shard in Reid's hands began to burn.

And the eyeballs that kept rolling closer... and closer...

began to burn with the rest of the tent and it's contents...


	52. I Wont Leave You

**Look! This update came alot sooner than the last one! :D please appreciate my moment of "seizing the oppurtunity!" and finish reading my story! (Even though this is not the chapter where the story ends... '-')**

Reid thought that the spot on his palm that was burning painfully was just another flame dancing across his badly singed body.

But it was a shard of what looked like purple glass, and as the small flaming girl came closer and closer, it burned hotter and hotter.

It was as hot as the sun by the time Lyssa had grasped Reid's hand firmly.

* * *

><p>Malifeciis had begun screaming a few moments ago as her body had become embroiled in flames. Rossi and Hotch unconciously placed protective arms out from both sides, barring JJ, Prentiss, and Garcia from getting any closer to the flames. Morgan and Orbus had completely plastered themselves to the mirrors, watching through the glass as the hag writhed in pain while his friend and a small girl burned.<p>

"Please Reid... You gotta beat her!" Morgan whispered as Orbus started screaming and pounding again. Morgan didn't think he'd wished for someone so hard before... not when Garcia was in the hospital, or Reid had contracted Anthrax, or Emily and Reid had been taken hostage...

"You gotta do this man!" Morgan screamed, banging on the glass hard.

* * *

><p><em>"Im scared!"<em>

"Im scared!"

"It's okay." Reid said unhelpfully. What else could he tell the trembling Lyssa as she grasped both his hands, feeling the heat of the whispering Shard.

"I remeber stuff now... clearer than before." Lyssa mumbled, tears and snot running down her red face.

"Like what."

"How scary the Witch was."

Reid remembered the eyes, and caught them almost to their destination out of the corner of his eye.

"What else? What about your parents?"

"They... they disapeared! And I... I scared them away!" Lyssa cried.

"No you didn't." Reid said, wondering if he should be contradicting her. "The Hag made you. What else do you remember about them?" Maybe if he kept her talking, she wouldn't notice those ugly yellow and flaming eyes coming closer and closer to them. Maybe since she was so badly singed already she wouldn't feel whatever those horrid eye's would do to them...

"We used to play together. When we finally reached our destination my daddy and mommy would play hide and seek... and I'd take my rabbit and look for them."

Reid nodded, noticing a flaming Rabbit on the otherside of the tent. Black burn marks around it's black button eyes that reflected the flames dancing along it.

"And sometimes Uncle Orbus would play too." Lyssa whisperd, "But I could never find him."

Reid nodded. "What else?" He prodded. The eyes were almost here!

"She told me they were hiding. That I had to find them to win the game." Lyssa trembeled, "That they were just playing a game! And I still can't find Uncle Orbus! He keeps getting away!"

"What do you mean?" Reid asked, losing his focus on the ever closer eyes and turning his attention to Lyssa.

"I tried to catch him during the preformance, that's the easiest way. But it's a new face every time." Lyssa cried, "I can't find him!"

"Maybe... If we can get out of here, I could help you find him?" Reid asked.

Lyssa nodded. And started to get up, keeping a firm grip on both of Reid's hands.

* * *

><p>Morgan watched in amazement as purple flames began to mix in with the yellow and orange flames, the Hag screaming even louder.<p>

The form where Reid should have been, holding on tightly to Lyssa, suddenely began moving, flames obscuring his face as the area where his mouth should have been began erupting flames towards the Hag's burning face.

"Dude..." Morgan heard Orbus whisper, stopping in his endless beating to stare as Lyssa's form began to follow suit.

* * *

><p>The eyeballs, which had been making good time towards the two poor souls, had slowed almost to a stop. Burning and charring unevenly, the yellow of their eyes were more of an ugly brown now. And The black slits used to peer in on the Hag's intended target had spread like a spiders web, spreading an ugly black pattern across the front of each eyeball.<p>

But they _could_ still move, and they could still see. Even if just barely. And so they rolled through charred grass and soot, through a burning tent to two burning puppets the eye's master had crafted. Two puppets who could barely moved as they fought the strings that had previously kept them intwined so tightly they couldnt think clearly.

"Mr. Spencer!" Lyssa cried anxious, Reid had collapsed for the third time, falling to his knees and coughing from the smoke. Lyssa pulled uselessly at his hands, keeping a firm grip on each.

"Sorry-kough!-Lyssa!" Choked Reid, wiping black soot from his mouth for the fifth time. Where was the extra soot coming from? Reid climbed unsteadily to his feet again, limping weakly a few more steps before Lyssa had to support him for a few seconds so he wouldn't fall again.

"Please Mr. Spencer," Lyssa pleaded, fear eating at her haggard and loosley knit mind, "I don't want to be alone with her. I'm scared."

_"I'm scared!"_ hissed the shard in Reid's tightly clamped palm, echoing it's owner.

Reid looked back, seeing two blacking yellow balls crawling slowly after them, refusing to give up their prey.

"I won't leave you Lyssa." he promised, trudging forward, taking up the lead.

Silently, save the guttaral coughing and spewing of soot, the two closed in on the flaming tent flaps...


	53. Release

**Okay, valid excuse for not updating faster: studying for my English test over A Tale of Two Cities, an AP World History test and exam (coming up next month... or the month after... hard to remember), and getting ready for a church-related event coming up over spring break (that i will rant about later on what ever story im updating on whatever chapter im writing!)**

**Anyway, i gotta be over sooner or later. I promise! I will miss this story line though. It was so intresting to think about, and there were alot of creative paths i could do. And im especially gonna miss Orbus! He was an interesting character! First he was evil, then he was funny, then he was a turncoat! and then it turns out he's just one of those tragic characters desperate to fix what they believe to be broken and capable to be fixed (Lyssa!). And the fact that he had Reid's face was a lucky perk :p**

Morgan had felt pride many a time in his life. When he and the neighborhood kids got to watch his father bust a lowlife outside Morgan's childhood apartment, when Morgan had been admitted to the BAU and steadily found to like his job, and when Morgan saw Reid blast Malifeciis with a column of fire with his own mouth.

But Pride had been sweetened with hope and relief when he saw the purple fire originating from Reid's fist completely consume the two, and travel up the Hag's weathered and charred arms. The Hag screamed so loud, and sounded so fearful, that Morgan almost felt sorry for her.

Almost.

Then, as she was consumed with fire, Reid and Lyssa crumpled, lifeless burned bodies the only remains of what they once were, and moved no more.

Meanwhile the Hag writhed and burned, her very life being taken away as the fire danced on her body.

"REID!" Morgan screamed, banging harder. If only he could go through the mirror! He could help somehow! Drag their bodies away from the writhing Hag maybe... or just offer comfort to any ebbing life that could possibly remain in Reid...

But all he could do was watch as the Hag screamed, dancing in a painful, desperate way as she crumpled and burned away in a magnificent display of savage purple flames that ravaged the old Witch's body. All that was left was a pile of black ash and a few silver medallions, glinting in the ebbing purple flickering flames and embers.

The Hag was burned, and no more.

"The Black Witch is no more," Orbus confirmed, collapsing from a sudden fit of exhaustion, "I can feel her presence lifted over me lifting... I can... feel... my soul!" Orbus gasped, breathing in deeply.

"What about Reid and Lyssa?" Morgan asked quietly.

* * *

><p>Reid felt a jerk rack through his body, and Lyssa must have felt it too. She jerked forward without warning, almost falling over onto her head.<p>

The heat instantly lifted slightly, becoming barable even if only slightly. The coughing less, and much less painful. Reid's thoughts became clearer, and suddenely alot more made sense to him.

He was fighting smoke inhalation and exhaustion to make it out of a burning tent, real or not he wasn't sure, and save a little girl who clutched to his right hand like it was her only tether to life. She suddenelly looked so much smaller and much more fragile than that night he'd first met her: a year ago as a blackened corpse, muttering how she'd found him while she burned him into her world. A world of puppets and evil witches who only wanted his body. Not the soul that was left to rot in some spiritual plane under a deep sleep.

She looked much more like a small girl, wondering when her parents were going to come and make the monsters go away like they always did...

Reid tightened his grip around her small fingers, embedding the shard that much farther into their palms. He smiled reassuringly to her, tugging her towards the door.

They reached it in what felt like seconds, the feeling of energy flowing into them instead of out with the yellow eyes behind them reduced to nothing but cinders.

Reid breathed deeply, savoring the moment of being on the verge of freedom from a very long, hard, task.

"Ready?" He croaked to Lyssa, who was wiping the last of the soot from her mouth.

She smiled bravely, the fear poorly hidden under her mask of self-reassurance.

"Ready." She quivered in a rough, poorly treated voice.

And with that, Reid grasped a flaming tent flap, not able to register the pain of touching more open flame.

There was a silent _hush_ and the two departed through the flaps, and from one hellish nightmare alltoghether.

**Okay! How was that? Pretty fitting end to a witch right? Death by Purple Flames! I thought it was creative atleast...**

**As you can tell, your so close yourself from being released from this long...long... looooong story. *sniff* im kinda sad to see this whole thing end. :'(**

**This is the first story i've actually written, published on the internet, and finished... i must say hitting the "complete" button's gonna be painful! :p**

**Okay, enough of my rambling! On to the next chapter!**


	54. Mommy?

**It seems the moment I actually have a reason for not being able to update faster, I have time to update faster! (Knock it off universe! Make my schedule make sense again!)**

**Anyway, AHHHH! So freakin' close! !:O! !'0'! !O:!**

**Ive noticed theres a sudden shortage of the rest of the BAU team in the last few chapters... ima have to work on that... :[/]**

The Hag was only a pile of forgotten ashes, the team deciding to instead crowd around the two smoldering bodies laying past the pile of ashes.

"Reid." Garcia croaked through thick, wet, tears, brushing back a blackened clump of dry, withered hair.

Reid's unconcious face was burned black in some spots, completely burned away in others. Only his eyes and bottom jaw looked untouched, just flecks of ash speckled these areas like black glitter. Nothing remained of his former forced occupation as a Ring Master. Instead of a colorful patchwork tailcoat, he wore his t-shirt and pajama bottoms. Instead of shiny black dress shoes, raggedy old socks that looked like they'd been run in for miles and miles and miles.

"Oh-" Prentiss couldn't finsih her exclamation, the pressure of her waterworks overcoming everything else. She collapsed into Hotch's arms, overcome with grief as she sobbed into his shoulder. Hotch kept strong arms around her, ignoring her nails digging into him as she struggled to stay upright as she sobbed.

JJ even regretted her recent past's mistrust of the BAU super genius. Even he didn't deserve this. And what of the poor little girl? JJ thought, even she didn't deserve this fate.

Rossi removed his jacket and placed it over the two, granting them the dignity of lying their in privacy of death.

Morgan and Orbus watched through the glass, like viewers of a tragic movie that must have been coming to a close. It's stars were dead...

"Reid..." Morgan sobbed, silent tears running down his face, "Reid no..."

"Lyssa." Orbus grieved, head in shaking hands, "What'll I tell Richard and Tiffany?"

"That she was a brave little girl?" Morgan said, trying to offer the poor man comfort. But it was still to difficult to look at him... he still held Reid's face. Those tears ran down his face, out of Reid's brown eyes, used Reid's tears for gosh sake! Morgan couldn't look Orbus in the eye without fresh sobs exploding from him.

Orbus only nodded weakly... what else was there to do?

* * *

><p>Reid breathed hard, he was surrounded by a inky black darkness. A cold darkness. The only source of warmth was him palm, where he felt a terrified little girl trembling as she endured the same as he...<p>

_"It's okay..."_ Reid heard himself say. But his voice seemed detached, like it wasn't him speaking. The voice came from a distant corner somewhere, not from his mouth.

_"I'm scared!" _The little girl wailed, beyond help if they stayed here much longer.

But which way was out? Where was Reid supposed to lead Lyssa?

Well, taking the first step in any direction might not hurt. Right?

Reid took a tentative step forward. As his weight shifted to the outstretched foot, logic jumped in with the fear that there might not be anything for the weight to shift onto! What if he fell, dragging Lyssa with him, and they plunged downward, no idea when they'd stop! They could fall for a forever, or only for a long period of time! Coming at some point to a painful impact with whatever lay below!

But a _KLACK!_ quieted these fears as Reid realized they had been standing on a marble (he was sure it was marble) floor this whole time.

Reid tugged Lyssa's hand and they two took slow, tentative steps forward, outstretching unclasped hands to search the empty, black air for a way out. A wall they could travel down. Some form of navigation, if it was out there, the two were positive they'd find it.

And, after a single forever, they were rewarded with exactly that. Reid's fingertips kissed a wood door, some picture deeply engraved into it. Reid remarked silently to himself it was a pity he couldn't see it. He dragged his fingers down the door, looking for a knob.

Lyssa found it first, curling her fingers around it and throwing it away from her, watching as a bright white light flooded over the two, granting them the ability to see again.

Someone was waiting on the other side of the door, just a few feet from it.

"Mommy?" Lyssa whispered unsteadily, her voice quivering slightly like she might cry any second now.

**Sorry for the cliffhanger! But I'm about to get kicked off and I want to reward all my loyal readers for their patience (and reviews yelling at me to update ((Im lookin' at YOU theuntitled! I appreciated every one of those reviews demanding an update! (((Especially the last one, it made me laugh))))**


	55. Your Supposed to Be Alive Right?

**Remeber: This story maybe in its last stages, but the reviews are wanted and appreciated! :[/]**

Relief broke across Tiffany Gouldebourne's face. She couldn't have been sure if her daughter would recognize her after all this time. After all she'd been through...

Richard stepped close behind her, grabbing a hand and resting his head on her shoulder, using the free hand to rub her arm reassuringly.

"You know who I am?" He asked sweetly.

Lyssa blinked, "Daddy? Daddy!" Lyssa released Reid's hand and jumped into her father's arms. The little family wrapped together in a fierce hug, looking like they might not break apart anytime now.

Reid stood in the doorway awkwardly, not sure what to do. He resided to leaning against the frame and look around while Lyssa had a moment with her parents.

The room was a soft, bright white. It looked like it was filled with mist, so much infact Reid couldn't see any of the wall or corners. Even the cieling was hidden from view, except for a few scraps wich were painted a soft, sky blue.

The floor looked like white marble, little, faded veins of light pinks and pale blues running under the hard white surface. Reid couldn't see any baseboards either, mist crawled up the walls and across the floor.

Outside, the pitch black grew ever colder, like a draft had been let in, and the room grew slughtly warmer, like the heater had somehow been switched on. Reid tried hard to peer into the black outside, to maybe see something with the white light emmiting from the second room. But nothing beyond a gold and yellow tiled floor meeting a gray marbe doorframe and the beginings of marble based coloumns could be seen.

Looking away from the Gouldbournes, Reid finally noticed the change that had taken place in the young girl since she'd entered.

Her pale, dead, blonde hair had suddenely gained life, becoming a shining gold. Her burned and mangy purple dress had cleaned itself and was turning a pale purple. When Reid blinked a few times from soot entering his eyes, the dress faded to a soft white. The burns and holes in Lyssa's face healed, skin appearing and closing the holes in her face. Her eyes were a deep, bright blue. She looked alive, like she'd never lived through the Witch's unimaginable tortures.

Reid sighed, exhaustion rolling over him in waves. His eyes burned from lack of sleep, his frame shook with a yawn. The lower area of his back hurt, like his spine was telling him to lie down. The warmth of the room was inviting, especially compared to the icy air washing over him from the other room. Reid felt himself start to slide down the wood frame, until he was sitting with his back against it. His head started to dip down in sleep.

Tiffany opened her eyes for a moment amid the laughter and rejoicing of regaining her baby. She saw the poor man who'd brought Lyssa back to her crumpeled by the door. His skin was a deathly pale, like a corpse. His hair was lank and brittle, like twigs that could snap any moment. His clothes were filthy and burned in places.

Placing Lyssa fully in Richard's arms, she crossed over to him, raising his head. His eyes were a pale, dead brown. Tiffany could see his lips turning blue, and his body was growing cold under her warm hand.

"Your supposed to be alive aren't you?" She whispered.

* * *

><p>The Team sat in shocked numbness. Reid was dead. He'd come close several times, but he'd always survived...<p>

Couldn't he survive this time?

Morgan sat with his back against the mirror. He couldn't watch this. He couldn't see his friends corpse, and his team staring down at it.

Orbus had opted to continue tapping against the glass, but it was a soft, half-hearted tap instead of his full on banging like earlier. He looked weak, like he might collapse any second.

"I don't feel the Witch anymore... her presence." He mentioned weakly.

"That's good man." Morgan said.

"But I also don't feel Lyssa's." Orbus sobbed.

* * *

><p>Ivona looked at either side of her, careful to make sure the police men inside didn't see her. Then she slid nimbly, like a cat, underneath the yellow tape.<p>

After the ceremony wear the FBI agents entered the spirit world worked, she'd plaid the role of the confused and frightened dumb girl perfectly. Several strong, masculine officers were happy to call the poor girl two ambulances to carry the five unconcious agents to a hospital were they were treated like any other coma patient.

Now all Ivona had to do was wait for them to return to the physical world somehow.

What she was hoping for was some sort of sign Emily and her commrades were allright. Maybe they'd pull a stunt like The Witch had and be able to pass over to the real world. Somewhere, there had to be a sign somewhere, Ivona was sure of it.

The Hall of Mirrors looked promising to Ivona.

Especially when, upon opening the door, she heard a loud sob emit from somewhere.

"Right." She said, reaching into her black purse. She pulled out a ball of yarn. "Lead me to the minotaur." She grinned, tieing the end of the ball to the doorknob. She then held the ball loosely in her hand as she began walking inside the maze, trying to follow the sound of someone crying.

* * *

><p>Orbus had broken down, Morgan had to support him otherwise he'd have fallen to the concrete floor. Morgan's mind was racing, trying to process what was going on.<p>

_"Ok... Seven stages of Grief"_ He thought, rolling with the flailing Orbus as he had a total meltdown, _"Stage 1: Shock and Denial."_ Orbus had been shocked as he'd watched Lyssa ignite and then as he'd tapped the glass till he'd begun sobbing uncontrollably.

_"Stage 2: Pain and Guilt."_ Morgan, who was sure he was still in the first stage, was imagining what Orbus was going through, _"Griever will feel unimaginable emotional pain and begin blaming themselves for their loss."_

"It's my fault!" Orbus screamed, "I led everyone on this stupid chase after her! I escaped from her! I shouldn't have left! I left Lyssa open to all this! I was supposed to take care of her! I was her Godfather for pete's sake!" he screamed.

He was becoming increasingly more difficult to hold on to. Morgan feared he might fall to the ground soon.

"She's allright!" Someone cried from around the corner.

Morgan looked up to see Ivona walk in, holding a ball of string in one hand and a large water bottle in the other.

"She's fine." She said again.

"What are-uhh! knock it off!" Morgan gave the flailing man in his arms a sharp shake. Ivona sprayed Orbus with the waterbottle, Orbus quieted instantly, looking at Ivona confused.

"Everything happened like it was supposed to... well, most of it." Ivona said, "Reid wasn't supposed to go with her."

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked. Orbus regained strength in his legs and he extracted himself from Morgan's grip.

"When they ignited," Ivona said almost impatiantly, "As Im sure they did, you typically see that with fire curses, They basically went through something like Purgatory I guess. Lyssa was then free'd, and since The Witch was caught in the Purgatory, she was destroyed. That should have free'd everyone."

"So what does that mean?" Morgan asked stupidly.

"The curses are broken and the spirits can now go to Heaven or Hell, depending on which they are more deserving of. My guess is Reid was swept up with Lyssa.'

"So he's in Heaven... he's dead?" Morgan felt what little hope he'd gained as Ivona had been explaining die right there.

"Or at the gates, in which case he could have a chance."

"How?"

Ivona looked over at the silent Orbus. "Well, If he's ready-"

"I am!" Orbus interjected.

"-then I don't think he'll have a problem dying for the final time. Get Reid's body and the others. I have an idea." Ivona turned to go.

"I cant!" Morgan cried.

"Whaddaya mean?" Ivona asked, turning sharply.

"We can't get through the glass." Orbus clarrified.

"Hmm." Ivona walked to the mirror and placed her hand on the glass, "No, Orbus and I can't. You can." She said, turning to Morgan.

"Wha-?" Morgan asked.

Ivona looked at him like he was an idiot, "Didn't you notice when Malifeciis was burned up? You've been trying to get through the mirror right?"

Morgan gestured to Orbus, "Been kinda busy."

Ivona nodded, "Allright well, the thing keeping you out was Malifeciis power. When she died her power with her. You can go through the mirror. Orbus and I can because were in physical bodies. Your not connected to your body right now, your not connected to any physical body so there's nothing keeping you seperated from the physical and spiritual worlds."

Morgan nodded, then placed a tentative hand against the smooth glass of the mirror.

Then nearly fell on his face as he passed through smoothly, like there was nothing there.

"Morgan!" Garcia cried, seeing him materialize out of no where.

"Grab Reid!" Morgan said, pointing at Reid, "Ivona knows how to get him back!"


	56. Time to Wake Up

Garcia blinked, the rest of the team just stared at Morgan like he was crazy.

"I'm serious! Grab Reid, we dont have alot of time left!" Morgan rushed over and began to slide his hands under the cadaver's shoulders.

Not wanting Reid to get hurt when Morgan probably dropped him, JJ grabbed Reid's legs. Then she manuvered him into Morgan's arms. Prentiss fixed his head so it didn't jerk around so much when Morgan moved.

"What about Lyssa?" JJ suddenelly asked, seeing the small, burned corpse still on the floor.

Morgan looked over at her, then shrugged. JJ bent over and scooped up the dead child.

"We can atleast give her a proper burial.

The team nodded, then solemnly walked through the mirror, Hotch leading the way in a solemn parade.

* * *

><p>When Morgan passed through the mirror Ivona placed her hand on Orbus's shoulder.<p>

"When they come out they'll be just like any other spirits you know."

"So?" Orbus asked distractedly.

"They can't carry you. Try to make it a little easier on them."

* * *

><p>As Morgan passed through the mirror, he felt Reid getting lighter... light as air in fact.<p>

Morgan looked down, worried about the state of his cargo.

Reid was gone, all that was left were black, sooty, ash marks around his arms.

_THUD!_ Orbus landed on the floor, apparantly unconcious. His clothes had changed, instead of coatails, slacks, and his mask clipped to a black belt, he wore Reid's Pajama bottoms and ratty, burned T-shirt.

"It's okay!" Ivona called out, leaning down and attempting to pick up Orbus, "He's just overwhelmed by the soul fragment you dragged out of the mirror!"

"I don't understand." Prentiss said as she bent down to help... and her hands passed right through Orbus' leg.

"This is _Reid_'s physical body, you can't lift this since your just a spirit. And now that the Soul Fragment is no longer trapped inside the mirror, it's overriding the imposter in it's rightful body. Especially with Malifeciis and her power gone, the soul fragment is just doing what instinct tells it to do. We better hurry though- oh forget it I'll just drag him!" Ivona threw down a leg and grabbed Orbus by the wrists, then she began dragging him down the mirrored halls, "Go make sure the door is still open." She ordered Garcia who nodded and ran down the hall, following the string.

Ivona struggled, grunting ever-so often as she dragged the body down the hall and out the door.

Now came the tricky part. She had to get his body to her truck... or did she? Now that she thought about it, she might look bad if she showed up with a year-long missing FBI agent in her truck. It would be bad for buisness...

"Hey!" She called out, still dragging the unconcious body, "Officer!"

A man in a Police uniform turned to see her, "Hey! You not supposed to be here-"

"I know, but I saw this man under that structure and he wasn't moving so..." Ivona let her voice trail innocently off, "He's breathing but that's about it. I think he might need a hospital."

the officer checked Orbus' vitals, nodded, and walked away to phone an ambulance.

Ivona knelt down, brushing brown, lanky, dead hair away from the unconcious face, "Please hold on." She whispered.

* * *

><p>Ivona rode in an ambulance for the second time that day, answering questions from the cop accompanying her and the medic who worked on checking Orbus' vitals.<p>

"What were you doing at the scene?"

Ivona put on her saddest face, sniffing before she answered, "I just wanted to see it ya know? The place where my friend went missing. Just to ya know... come to terms with it? I didn't expect to find him _under there_! I'm just glad I did."

JJ, standing unoticed in an unused corner of the ambulance, let out a snort at Ivona's acting. This was quality drama the woman was delivering.

Amazingly, the cop bought it. He gave a warm smile and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Well we're certaintly glad you did."

Ivona smiled back and nodded, wishing she'd had a chance to conjour up fake tears to really seal the deal.

* * *

><p>When they entered the ER, Orbus was wheeled into a curtained off area where a swarm of nurses and doctors overtook attending to him. The rest of the team followed in, appearing to materialize out of the sunlight, and walked up to Ivona who had run in behind Ivona.<p>

"Well," She said turning to them, "Time for you guys to wake up."


	57. Mori

Prentiss blinked, "What?"

Ivona rolled her eyes in mock exasperation, "Come on." and she headed up a nearby stairway.

* * *

><p>Prentiss and Garcia lay in seperate hospital beds, curtains open and breathing tubes inserted up their noses. They breathed slowly, like they were asleep. The Doctors had decided they were merely collapsed from being overworked, so he wasn't to worried when their breathing became lighter all of a sudden.<p>

Only a short time later a dark haired woman opened the door, knocking softly.

"Knock knock." She smiled, "Can I just have a few minutes with 'em?" She smiled sweetly, a total contrast to the image she'd peiced together with black leather and large, silver necklaces.

"Well, only a few minutes I guess." He decided, replacing Garcia's chart to her bed. He sauntered out slowly.

"Finally," JJ said from the corner where she and the other two female FBI agents stood, "Some privacy."

Prentiss and Garcia walked slowly to their bodies, unsure of what to do.

Garcia placed a tentative hand on her sleeping form's head, and felt herself slowly sucked in.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaahahhhhhhhhh_hhhhhhhhhhhh!"_ And she was gone, only to jerk forward in the hospital bed, having full control of her body again and breathing deeply.

"Wow!" She looked up at Ivona, now the only one she could see, "_That_ was a ride!"

Ivona snorted, only to hear Prentiss shoot upward as she too re-entered her body.

"That was cool." she smiled, looking at Garcia.

"Glad you liked it, now I'll go check on the boys." and with that she swept from the room.

* * *

><p>Morgan had charged head first into his body, not bothering to look around at the scene. The result was he startled the nurse attending him as he jerked forward, reinflating with air that was not there before. She slammed into a tray of instruments before making contact with the foot of Rossi's bed as he too shot up. The nurse quickly ran from the room.<p>

"Shame," Morgan said, getting up, "She was cute."

Rossi rolled his eyes, turning to see Hotch regaining his body and already climbing out of bed.

"Hurry," He said, giving a pointed look to the both of them, "Ivona will run in here any minute now to check on us."

"Crap." Rossi whipped out of bed and began searching the room for his clothes. He found them in a plastic bag in the closet along with Morgan and Hotch's underneath them.

"Suit up boys!" Rossi called, tossing the clothes to their proper owners, "We need to go find the girls."

* * *

><p>Ivona met the men halfway to their room, fully clothed and nearly crashing into her.<p>

"Where's Prentiss and the others?" Hotch asked.

"Getting ready." Ivona said simply.

"Ah, hold on," JJ tapped Ivona on the shoulder, "Where's _my_ body?"

Ivona blinked, "Where you last left it duh."

JJ stood there, feeling slightly embarressed but mostly infuriated.

"Thanks for explaining it to me." She snapped, turning and running down the stairs, out the door, and down the road, running to her house.

Running to Will...

* * *

><p>Will sat in the easy chair by the corner, holding his son close to him.<p>

Will LaMontague had seen alot of hard things on the force: death's of partners, teammates, his own civilian friends. He'd watched families tear themselves apart in interrogation rooms, at the scenes of crimes, in the cells when they were sure they'd been caught. He'd seen grieving mothers and fathers confirm their childrens bodies and vice versa, and he'd himself delivered the heart breaking news to families that their loved ones had been found, but not saved. He'd seen alot of hard things, things that had made his higher ups and fellow officers lose face and break down. Not that he himself had always been able to keep a composed, apathetic face. He himself could remember losing face before a widowed elderly mother of two who'd just lost those two. He'd blown up in the face of a child molester, and he himself had thrown the first punch when a drug dealer had leered to him outside a bar when they'd been released.

William LaMontague had seen hard, painful things.

But he couldnt believe they'd all seem so minor compared to walking in on his son, standing in his crib, asking his father where "mama" was. And crying when the child realized Mama wasn't coming around anytime that morning. And it was worse than on the mornings when JJ was on a case, this time Will didn't know when, or how, his wife would be back.

Suddnenely the lights started flickering, even though it was a sunny mid-day, no clouds in the sky. A

"I know I paid the electric bill." Will muttered, getting up and walking towards the light ficture in the middle of the room, holding his son.

The lights continued to flicker rapidly, every bulb in the house firing on and off rapidly.

_Ku-THUNK!_

"Henry, stay close to me okay?" Will whispered to his son who nodded blankly to him, "Ok daddy."

Will passed his closet in the hallway, he opened it up and reached into a brown box in a dark corner of the closet on the top shelf.

"I'll be darn stupid if anything happens to the rest of my family while I'm around!" he whispered to himself.

_K-Think!_ the sound came from farther down the hall, near the back of the house.

Will instictively pressed his son closer to him as he crept down the hall. On the way he passed Henry's room, the door wide open. He pressed the door open slightly, looking through the crack into the dark room.

_K-Fink!_

The sounds came from farther down the hall! But the only room that was left was...

The master bedroom!

Will hadn't been in there since JJ disapeared. No one had entered there after the cops had finished examining the crime scene. He was sure the room was begining to get dusty since it'd been left to neglect...

Will looked from Henry's room to his... then kept walking.

"Better your with me." He smiled down at his son, who was still playing with his Cat in the Hat book, pointing the Cat out to his father.

Then Will began taking quiet steps towards the room, gun raised in the other hand ready to defend what was left of his family.

* * *

><p>JJ groaned... Returning to the physical world had not been a pleasent endeavor...<p>

When she'd stepped into the room, she'd felt drawn to the burn marks on the floor.

The place where she'd been abducted by Lyssa.

JJ knelt down, feeling the floor where the marks had been burned into her floor.

And then the floor began pulling at her, like gravity had increased where she knelt. She resisted, pulling at herself, trying to keep herself upright, trying to get onto her own two feet.

_K-THUNK!_

JJ hit the floor, body laid out and pressed heavily to the floor. JJ couldn't move... she could barely breathe!

_'No!_' JJ thought, real fear exploding inside her, _'I was so close!'_

She struggled alittle more, trying to lift something from the floor!

_K-Think!_ JJ felt her whole bpdy shudder, and then a wave of pain fly up her body. JJ shut her eyes, the world exploded around her! Suddenely her whole frame felt weathered and frail, like she'd been working endlessly until just now. Every fiber screaming for rest. Her throat felt dry and scratchy, she was parched!

JJ felt a scream rip from her throat. It felt like she was being stabbed with knives everywhere, every inch of her body was exploding in fire!

_K-Fink!_

JJ's body jerked once, and then everything melted away, all the pain and pressure holding her down. JJ opened her eyes to her cieling above, as the sounds of footsteps and the door opening slowly reached her ears.

JJ coughed, holding her head and slowly getting up. Her stiff back muscles protesting at certain points.

"Mama!" Henry exploded, begining to fidget and wrestle his way out of his fathers arms. Wanting to get down and run to JJ.

"JJ?" Will asked shakily, almost desperatly.

* * *

><p>"Will!" JJ screamed, forgeting her pains and getting up. Will put Henry down and let JJ run into his arms, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around a few times before setting her down and kissing her passionantly.<p>

"Where you go Mama?" Henry pulled at JJ's pant leg a few times, determined for attention.

JJ broke from her kiss, breathing deeply and looked down at her baby.

"Mommy went on a trip sweetie," JJ hugged her son tightly, "She went to see a dear friend who was in trouble." She lifted him up, ignoring the tired arms protests.

"But Mommy's back now," JJ smiled, leaning her and Henry into Will and kissing her husband again.

Henry hugged his mom back, "Me too!"

JJ laughed and kissed her son on the forehead, never having been so grateful, or feeling so much love for and from him or her husband...

Her family was back together, forever...

* * *

><p>Ivona sat in the waiting room inside the ER, waiting for the rest of the group to come back.<p>

"Miss?" A nurse walked up to her, holding a clipboard.

"Yes?" Ivona asked, getting up.

"Spencer, the man you arrived in the ambulance with earlier, is asking for you. We managed to get him stabalized and on the right meds, so you'll be allowed a few minutes."

"Thank you." Ivona smiled, walking behind her as the nurse led her down the hall to a hospital room.

He sat propped up by the raised hospital bed and pillows, an IV stuck in his elbow. He looked half dead, dark circles under pale eyes, surrounded by pale skin. His hair was lank and dead, hanging around his thin, miserable face.

Ivona took one look at him and turned to the nurse, "I, ah, think we need to hold this conversation in private." She smiled warmly at the nurse who merely nodded and walked quickly out of the room.

"Reid?" Ivona inquired.

"Orbus." Orbus snapped.

Ivona frowned, "I thought you wanted to leave that body."

"How? And how is _he_ gonna get back _inside_? You said you couldn't sense him anymore."

Ivona sat on the foot of the bed, thinking hard.

"Well, he and Lyssa fought off Malifeciis together right?" Orbus nodded, "And both their soul fragments ignited, and so Im guessing he probably went wherever Lyssa went."

So he is dead!" Orbus cried.

"Not necassarily." Ivona said, "If you'll remember, his soul went with Lyssa, but his body is here."

"So? The second I leave it'll be lifeless."

"No, how do you think he found us the first time?"

"Lucky guess?" Orbus grinned. Ivona rolled her eyes and continued.

"No, there is a thing connecting the body and soul, it's called the spirit. When somone dies the spirit and soul are snapped from the body, disconnecting them."

"So what?" Orbus shrugged.

"Well, if Reid was able to show up in that police station right were you are, then maybe his spirit hasn't disconnected from the body. If you left he might be able to find his way back."

"Are you sure?" Orbus asked warily.

"Positive." Ivona smiled, but something about it seemed plastic, unreal. Like she was lying to his face.

"I can tell your lying about being sure about it, but I don't wanna be in this scrawny body any longer anyway. What do I have to do?"

Ivona smiled, then leaned over and placed a hand on Orbus' pale forehead.

_"Mori."_

Orbus felt everything drain from his body, and then the world went black.

The last thing he heard was the heart moniter he was connected to begin to freak out...


	58. Thank You's and Goodbye's

Orbus felt like he was floating, like he was riding on the tops of waves, here, but not really...

The weird thing was, he was standing up, and there was no water below him. Instead, a hard marble floor supported his feet while a black darkness cloaked the air around him.

Orbus wasn't sure if he was supposed to be here or not. Maybe, even if most of it _was_ under the influence of Malifeciis, he'd been condemned to hell? Maybe he'd really lost Lyssa forever, and there was nothing he could do about it in this case...

Orbus shook his head, forcing himself to ignore the dark thoughts and focus on his surroundings.

He was dead, he was sure of that. He felt light and weak, like his skin and bones had been replaced with paper and grass blades. Everything felt delicate and breakable.

He started walking, hoping he'd come into some sort of light if he just walked far enough.

Walking wasn't to much of a hardship, it was warm in this dark room, and the floor wasn't to hard. He was sure he would get a great distance before anything made him want to tire out.

* * *

><p>Reid's body lie in the hospital bed, giving the appearance that he could be sleeping. Ivona boasted to herself on her improving acting skills. Replaying the scenes of when the doctors burst in to see her screaming at a fading "Reid" in her mind. Now that it was just them in the room again, she allowed herself a small chuckle, feeling extremely accompolished.<p>

Two short knocks and Garcia burst into the room, taking one look at Reid, she turned to the psycic.

"What's wrong with him?" she sounded almost panicked.

"It'll take a few minutes okay?" Ivona shrugged, opting not to reveal that she actually had no idea what was goind on at this point.

Garcia nodded, still looking unsettled at Reid's body.

Ivona grinned, "Why don't you go home and get changed? You must feel like you want to."

"No, it's okay." Garcia waved Ivona off, sitting in the chair by Reid's bed, "I wanna be here when Reid comes back."

Ivona struggled to not roll her eyes.

* * *

><p>JJ broke off another long passionate kiss to turn and see her baby holding a crayon drawing up to her.<p>

"It's you and daddy!" Henry cried excitedly.

"Good job sweetie!" JJ said, putting the crayon scribblings down and sweeping the toddler into her arms, "Very good job!"

"Hey," Will said suddenely, "Where are your teammates?"

JJ blinked, then set Henry down and shot towards the front hallway.

"What?" Will called, giving chase.

"They're at the hospital. Hopefully they haven't left yet. I wanna go see Reid."

"You mean they found him?"

JJ nodded and smiled, "It was one hell of an experience."

* * *

><p>Hotch, Rossi, Prentiss, and Morgan sat around the metal table, scarfind meatball sandwhiches like there was no tommorow.<p>

"How lond were we even out?" Prentiss paused to wonder.

"Too long!" Morgan declared, tearing another bite from his Meatball Hogie.

Prentiss nodded in avid agreement and continued devouring.

Rossi finished his, licked his fingers, and lept off the stool.

"Well, Im off."

"To where?" Hotch asked, still focused on his own meal.

"Hospital, I wanna give that kid a piece of my mind on dragging us through space's supernatural crap-hole like he did." Rossi grinned.

"Wait for us," Morgan said inbetween bites, "We'll join you."

* * *

><p>Orbus blinked, or atleast was sure he did.<p>

He could see a white dot, very, very far ahead.

He was sure it was the way out he'd been looking for.

Unsure, he walked slowly, trying to think of all the nasty things it could possible be.

Then he heard it... the most relief-bringing sound... the most wonderful thing that could reach his ears at that moment.

It was a small childs giggle.

Orbus broke into a run, the white dot growing faster and faster, getting all the more closer...

It revealed itself to be a door.

A large, open door, with white light shining through it.

A dark, crumpled form sat by it's door hinge, with a few more forms standing over it.

"Your supposed to be alive aren't you?" A feminine voice asked, examining the crumpeled body.

"Maybe it's not to late?" A more masculine voice asked, leaning over to the female form.

"Tiffany?" Orbus called out.

It was faster than he could process, the two looked up and into the darkness where he stood. They looked at one another, and then Tiffany and Richard ran out to meet him.

"DANIEL!" Tiffany screamed, leaping on him in a tear stained hug, "I never thought I'd see you again!"

"Dan!" Richard whispered, hugging his best friend when his wife released him.

"Where's Lyssa?" Orbus asked after Richard released him.

He was answered by a small yet strong force attacking his legs as Lyssa wrapped her arms around them.

"I FOUND YOU!" She exclaimed, causing the adults to laugh.

"Yes you did sweetie." Orbus smiled, "Now, where's the other guy?"

Lyssa first appeared confused, then realization dawned on her. She pointed at the barely breathing Spencer who sat against Heaven's doorway. He was watching the whole thing in painful silence. He looked more like a zombie than a human soul.

"We don't know what to do with him." Tiffany shook her head, "We four can only go where the light touches, but he can't enter yet."

Orbus stood considering Reid for a few moments, "Quite the pickle huh?" He smirked.

Then Orbus shrugged, "I bet this will hurt wont it?"

"What?" Richard asked.

"Throwing him back into the dark."

"What?" Tiffany screeched, "Daniel Thadeus Orbus! We are NOT throwing him out there! He'll die for sure then!"

"If he does die the doorway will just open up for him again." Orbus shrugged, walking over and hoisting Reid up by the underarms, "But until then he needs to get _away_ from this door and what it leads to." He stood Reid up onto his feet and turned him around to look Orbus in the eye.

"You have three beautiful women waiting for you back there, three great friends, and a creepy psycic who probably wouldn't let you in to heaven yet anyway on account she's that dark haired agent's friend." Reid steeled himself, a new kind of fire igniting in his eyes, "Thank you for your help in reuniting me with the best people I've ever known, and for destroying that demon witch, but it's time for you to go home, to _your_ body."

Reid nodded, removed Orbus' hand's from his shoulders, and straightened up. He smiled and waved goodbye to Lyssa, shook hands with Richard and hugged goodbye Tiffany. Then he turned to go.

Before he left, he stopped next to Orbus, "Thank you." He smiled at the Circus Master, then clapped him on the back and took his first few steps into a black nothing... The doorway to Heaven closing behind him as the four spirits entered an eternal rest.

Spencer Reid was completely alone, completely ready to live.

It was a short walk before he felt a warm sensation comeover him and he felt like he was falling...

_'Here I come...'_ He hoped.

* * *

><p>Reid became concious awhile later. Everything felt sore. Like his muscles had been ripped from his body and then superglued back in place awhile later.<p>

It was still dark, and for an agonizing moment Reid believed he'd failed, that he was still trapped in that dark place, lost and left to wander while he tried to find a way out.

Then he heard the voices whispering above him. They sounded familiar, even when they were hushed so quietly he could barely tell what they were saying.

"Is he even alive?" a female voiced trembeled, probably... Garcia?

"He must be!" Another voice declared, had to be Morgan, "His heart moniters still beeping right?" Yeah, it was Morgan.

Geez, Garcia and Morgan, Reid was begining to feel the pain caused by a year of seperation...

"Guys, quiet." An unfamiliar female voice suddenely cut through the quiet buzz of conversation, "It's hard to tell if he's returned or not."

"So sorry Nostradomus, shall we hold a seance?" Someone said snarkily. It sounded female. JJ? Or was it Prentiss?

"Hey!" The newcomer hissed, "You may not believe but Ive exhibited enough proof for all of you here." Yeah, she must be yelling at JJ Reid decided.

"JJ come on, just concentrate on Reid, he's gotta wake up any minute now." That had to be Prentiss. Good ol' Prentiss, Reid thought drowsily, always there for her people...

Reid felt like a deflated helium baloon. Everything making him alive was gone. Sucked away by greedy kids intent on making funny sounds with their voices after inhaling his helium, his life force.

Reid mentally shook himself, too deep man, too deep, he said to himself.

"It could be another week at this point," the strange new voice finally sighed, "was your friend just lazy sometimes?"

"No," Reid grinned feebly, "just desperatly in need of a coffee loaded with sugar..."

"REID!" the room exploded from the sounds of excited and relieved voices! The voices owners descended on him like waves crashing to the ocean. Garcia got to him first, hugging him so tightely, he thought he heard his ribs crack!

"Garcia come on!" Prentiss and JJ grinned, "We wanna piece of him to!" JJ laughed, squirming past her two teammates and effectively usurping the young agent from the technical analyst. She hugged him tightely, and Reid allowed himself to enjoy this moment for as long as it lasted, hugging back fiercely until Prentiss unknowingly severed a wonderful moment and replaced JJ with herself, trying to hide the tears of relief she'd felt break through as she fought her way to him.

"Welcome back man!" Morgan grinned earnestly, clapping Reid's hand with his and pulling him into a brief hug before Hotch shook Reid's hand and clapped him on the shoulder. Rossi simply smiled at him and said, "Good work kid." Reid nodded back weakly and finally noticed the dark haired goth girl half grinning at him.

"So your the idiot who let a Witch take himself over body and soul?" Reid found he could only nod, hoping his cheeks weren't to flushed from embaressment. She shook his hand, "Ivona."

"Reid."

"I know who you are _Spencer_," She smiled at his eyebrows shooting up, "Emily is one of my best friends. She talks about you all the time."

"Funny Ivona," Prentiss sneered from Reid's bedside, "And how much have you been talking about Hotch to me in private?"

"I dunno, once or twice, maybe five times? He's hot and apparantly single." Ivona winked at a reddening Hotch, who coughed and stood very, very still. The rest of the team laughed robustly, making Reid's chest hurt.

"I suspect your exhausted Spence." JJ smiled, checking her watch as her motherly instincts kicked in, "Somebody should tell the nurse he's awake."

"Aww!" Garcia cried, "But then she'll throw all of us out!"

Morgan leaned into the blonde computer buff's shoulder and said loudly into her ear, "We can come see him tommorow Baby Girl." Garcia sighed in defeat, "Fine."

Spencer smiled and hugged Garcia and JJ a final time before the nurse appeared on her own and, true to Garcia's word, ushered them all out, Ivona winking at Reid and grinning as he felt his face go red.

Then Reid was left in his comfortable hospital bed, alone with his thoughts...

All in all, he decided, not such a bad comeback. Em talks about him behind his back? That brought a grin to Reid's face as he felt sleep pulling him back to his pillow and he fell promplty into the deepest and most real sleep he'd had in over a year.

**Only one more chapter! Are you ready for such a story to come to an end? Please leave your comments and reviews, you have no idea how much sneaking and getting up early i had to do to steal time to write this on many different computers! (for example im supposed to be writing a lab report, but what am i doing? Im writing whatever the heck I want! :D)**

**Thank you for reading this far... I promise the last one will be truly rewarding!**


	59. Forever

**Bum! Ba da ba da bum bum ba dum! Presenting: The last chapter! T-T sad i know...**

**Sorry it took so long (how many months?). There were computer restrictions placed upon me in an effort to keep my grades up. Anyway, with Summer around the corner ill have alot more time to write my stories :D**

**Also, please please please review this last chapter! Idk why but everyone stopped reviewing a few chapters back so i have no idea if anyone even likes this story anymore.**

**and please dont get mad if theres something about the story that didn't get answered, a) it was a long story, so there was alot to cover and come up with b) explaining every little thing kinda takes away the mystery of it all, and c) who knows what the future holds eh? (im kidding :D)**

**and lastly, a few thankyous**

**First, a thank you goes to RogueKrayatDragon, for texting me abuzz everytime i posted a chapter and bugging me endlessly at school to come home and post another chapter, not to mention the tons of reviews you made. Next thank you is for theuntitled, another constant reviewer, some of which made me laugh, third thank you goes to everyone whose read this or who will read this, which i honestly hope is the case, this story was epic! and my fourth thank you goes to Evanescence, the Ring soundtrack, Three days grace, Lady gaga, and anything else i listened to while writing this, oh! and my fifth and final thank you goes to Criminal Minds, without who none of this would have been written! Spencer Reid forever guys! :p :)**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>6 Months later<strong>

The bullpen was quiet today.

Everyone clacked away at their computers, typing e-mails, reports, messages, or short stories they hoped to publish somewhere. Reid was almost done with his large stack of files, the outbox tray towering high compared to the inbox tray, which had nothing in it. Reid had picked up the last file and was currently zipping through it, writing out notes on a pad of paper next to him and analyzing every photo. His eye caught every detail, every micro expression. Within minutes he'd finished the file and had dropped it uncerimoniously into the outbox tray with the rest. He looked over his notes, reassuring himself he'd done the file right, and slipped the note pad into his desk before turning to his computer and switching the monitor back on.

He'd just found an interesting article on a news site to read when Garcia burst through the door, carrying an armload of folders and a flyer in one arm, a brown paper package in the other.

"Everyone! I have just been asked by our wonderous media liason to hand these to you three," She divided the fifteen folders into five and handed them out, "And Reid recieved a package." She gave the brown paper package to the boy genius and stepped back. It was awkwardly still for a few moments.

"I'm not opening it here guys." He grinned. Prentiss and Morgan groaned, each picking up a file and pretending to work, silently rooting for Garcia to convince him otherwise.

"Oh please?" Garcia begged.

"No." Reid said flatly, "Remember last time?"

"But that was to the wrong address remember? We all know you wouldn't be recieving a con-"

"Are you quite finsihed?" Reid interrupted, his face going red at the memory of what had been in the envelope.

"Why'd they send it here anyway?" Morgan asked, dropping his facade and scooting his chair closer to Reid's desk.

"Maybe it's a fan?" Reid grinned. Morgan rolled his eyes and Garcia groaned, "You wish!" Prentiss laughed while Reid pretended to look hurt.

"I'm still not opening it." Reid laughed. Garcia hung her head and stalked away while Prentiss and Morgan "awwe'd" and called her back, but the technical analyist just stalked back to her office, she was very behind in her own work anyway. Morgan and Prentiss eventually returned to their own work and left Reid alone after chastising him about being mean to computer nerds. Reid was still grinning as he slid the package into his messenger bag, positive Garcia was cursing him from her office since she could no longer even see the package from the office cameras.

* * *

><p>Reid sat alone in his apartment that night. Get togethers between his teammates had been dying off from the every night celebrations six months ago when he'd been cleared to return to work. Everyone who wasn't on his team believed he'd gotten into a terrible car crash and been lying in the local hospital in the ICU for the last year. Reid, personally, had wanted to tell everyone he'd been targeted for his brilliant smarts and statistical knowledge by the mob but a swift smack to the head from Morgan had convinced him otherwise. Reid played the dutiful coma survivor and told everyone the story over and over again, never missing a detail. He told it so much he soon began to believe it himself.<p>

Now he sat alone in his apartment, forcing himself to remember every detail of what really happened so he could write it down in a black leather journal he'd been keeping since his return. He knew Hotch wouldn't be happy, he didn't want Reid keeping any record of what happened, Hotch wanted to forget the horrors he'd taken part of. He wanted everyone to forget.

But Reid didn't want to forget, he wanted to remember that he'd done something insanely impossible, and lived. He was silently amazed he'd literally touched the surface waters of death and then climbed back to the land of the living. So he sat there, madly, but neatly, scribbling his story and what he remembered down. He wrote down with a blue pen what his friends had told him, their side of the story, and his own in a black one. Then he scribbled in purple any notes he'd picked up, small things like imagery and scents, from the spirit world he wanted to remember. He even tried his hand at sketching the faces of Lyssa and Orbus, but couldn't bring himself to sketch Malifeciis. Of all the things, she was something he did want to forget. He only bothered to write her name whenever it came up, instead he used the titles of 'Old Witch', 'Hag', and what he'd heard Orbus call her, 'The Black Witch'. He still woke up in a cold sweat some nights, like she was there, hovering over him. Thirsting for revenge.

He hoped that might go away, now that he was almost done with his story. No, not story, he'd think to himself, memories. They were his memories, memories he was going to record and forget, and never have to deal with again.

The only other option for him was to fear everything; being alone, circuses, mystics, even a field might give him bad memories after what he'd been through...

No, he was going to forget them and move on. Atleast until they were distant enough that he could deal with them easier.

Reid wrote on the last line of the page and turned it, placing the bookmark inside and setting it down, taking a deep breath and getting up. As he poured himself a third cup of coffee, he began remembering what happened next, what exactly he could pick out, hoping to not forget a single detail as he sat back down and finished the insane story.

It was around midnight when Reid finished everything. The small black leather journal was filled, cover to cover. The insides of the covers scribbled on with purple notes. Nothing was forgotten, atleast Reid hoped nothing was forgotten, and Reid could feel sleep pulling at his eyes. He yawned and walked to the other side of his living room, pulling a shelf of books out, and reaching to the back of the shelf. He felt for a small groove in the back, it was always hard for him to find since it was etched into the wood like a crack, and there were many cracks surrounding it. The one he wanted made a complete circle, and it could be confusing with the other scratches running every which way around it. Finally, he found it and pushed hard in the center. A small circle of wood popped out and Reid pulled the false back out of the shelf. The small hideaway was not on the apartment blueprints. Reid had made it himself, after a month of reading how-to books and screaming at his little project when it didn't go the way he wanted it to. But finally, he had a place to hide things away from prying eyes, accidental discovery, and himself.

Newspaper clippings detailing particularly brutal cases he'd been on, obituaries of past family and friends, a letter from his mother, asking desperatly for him to save her from the hospital, how she wanted to be with him, and another black leather notebook containing other memories he found hard to deal with were all placed delicatly in the hideaway. His last, small bottle of dillaudid, half empty, sat towards the back, covered in an inch of dust. He stared at the drug for a moment, before remembering himself and reaching behind him, were the notebook containing his latest adventure sat ontop of the books he'd removed from the bookshelf. Reid placed it towards the back, next to the small bottle. With a last look, Reid grabbed the false back and replaced the small cut out before replacing the back and books into the shelf. Then he turned and walked out of the room, intent on a shower to wash today away.

* * *

><p>Reid exited the shower and got dressed for bed. The t-shirt and pajama pants he'd worn for the last year had been cleaned and patched up, and were the only souvenier Reid cared to keep from his adventures. He quickly pulled them on and walked through the house, locking it up for the night. When he got to the main hall he spied his messenger bag, with the brown paper package spying at him from under the bag's flap.<p>

Reid had completely forgotten about it, he'd been so intent on finishing the notebook he'd done nothing else since coming home. His stomach growled in rebellion, and Reid remembered he'd forgotten dinner too.

With a shrug, Reid pulled the package from his bag and walked into the kitchen, snapping the light on. Everything was the way he'd left it, sans a few pots and pans moved during the police search he guessed. He placed the package onto the breakfast bar and wrenched open his fridge. He found it almost empty. When he'd come home it'd been completely empty, as someone had been kind enough to remove everything so he didn't walk into a waiting stink bomb. Everything in their, and their wasn't much, had accumualted from nights out with the team and visits with Ivona, who'd explained everything he couldn't answer, which was alot, and why. She didn't stay long, on account of something about Reid's place put her off. Reid was fine with that, she put him off to.

He made his selection from what he had; half a chocolate cake, leftover steak and potatoes, ice cream, and a small plate of sandwhiches. Reid grabbed the cake and walked over to the breakfast bar, a fork in hand.

He set the cake down next to him and picked up the package, opening it with a quick, wrenching tear. He peered inside to find...

a half-burnt rabbit doll dressed as a ring master, seven rabbit circus medallions, a few photo albums, and a half-burned photo that stained the inside of the package with black soot.

Then Reid noticed the inside of the package itself. Red lines shot out and around the material in different directions, like a weird design. Out of curiosity, Reid carefully removed the contents of the package and gripped the edge of one side of the opening and ripped it open, ripping the bottom to so he could lay it out flat. It appeared to be some sort of demonic symbol, painted in red across the brown packaging. The lines gave the impression demon eyes were staring up from the painting, many many demon eyes. Reid had to look away after a few minutes. The insane swirling gave him a headache.

He instead turned to the contents of the package. He picked up the burned rabbit doll, turning it over. The coat was burned black near the coat tails, and the feet were deteriorating to ash. The whole thing was covered in several layers of soot. The doll left black marks on Reid's hands. He put it down, wiping his hands on the sweats leg and picked up a rabbit medallion. It was dressed like a clown, juggling red and yellow balls with it's ears while holding a pie in its forepaws and riding a unicycle. Reid smiled at the image. It was cute, he had to admit it.

The photo album was heavy in his hands, and left faint traces of soot in his hands. He opened it...

and nearly dropped it! It was a mourning album; pictures of dead people filled every plastic sleeve. All the subjects were wearing some sort of circus themed costume. The begining of the album showed the people in the pictures burned, obviously dying in some kind of fire. The farther back Reid whent it showed the subjects having just died. Painfully by the looks on their faces, and still wearing circus themed outfits, but not burned black like the people near the front. Reid, thouroghly disgusted, threw the album over his shoulder, deciding to worry about it some other time. He turned back to the other objects, not seeing the photo album land, or what page it turned to upon impact.

He slid the rest, which looked alot older by comparison of the other photo album, into the trash. They left black lines as they slid down the bag. Reid groaned in disdain and slammed the trash can lid on, turning back to the other, more pleasant objects.

He finally noticed the picture that had been seperated from the rest of the photos. It was half burned, the bottom right corner gone completely, and the rest close to following suit. Reid had to stare at it long and hard before he could make out what the photo was:

A portrait black and white photo of a white haired old woman with a small raven in a cage behind her. She was dressed in all black and she held another portrait of a small girl with pigtails. The little girl's details were to small to make out in the photo Reid held. The old woman was creepy enough, the black and white colors of the photo only added to that.

Reid shuddered and placed the photo back on the counter, like he was afraid the woman might start cursing him should he try to throw it away. He finished his slice of cake and threw his fork in the sink, sliding the cake back into the fridge. Then he gathered the doll, torn package, and burned photo in his arms, leaving the medallions on the counter.

And the phot album on the floor, forgotten.

He walked out of the kitchen into the living room and placed his items on the coffee table next to a laptop he pulled open and took off hibernate. Then he started searching.

After he typed in "Circus Themed Rabbit" the searches came up with information and pictures of a small girl holding a rabbit doll exactly like the one he had, a wikepedia page on the Circus of Dreams, and a news article on the fire that destroyed the circus in one of the newspaper archives. Reid shook his head, why now? Why couldn't things leave him alone? He groaned, throwing himself back into the cushions, wondering if he should tell someone.

Maybe it was Ivona's idea of a joke. He could tell she wasn't to fond of her.

Then the horrible idea that maybe it wasn't Ivona... maybe it was someone else, came to mind. Reid fought to keep the fear trapped in the pit of his stomach. He was terrified that he'd get dragged back into _that_ again. He had the sneaking suspicion tonight was going to set him back by maybe a week in the recovery process. Just seeing those objects, the pictures of dead bodies, the rabbit doll, the medallions, they reminded him of his time trapped inside that circus. The woman in the picture looked like that awful witch...

Wait a minute, he thought.

He shot up, snatching the photo from the coffee table and peering closely.

It looked like she'd actually bathed before she'd sat for the photo. He still had no idea who the child in the photo she held was, and he wasn't particularly interested to find out. He shuddered as he looked her in the eye again, those evil, beady eyes. Like she was going to eat you, or slit your throat, or steal your soul. All ideas worked when it came to her in Reid's opinion. He carefully set the photo down and got up slowly. He then walked over to the living room fire place and turned the knob on the tile in the floor that started the gas. He ran to grab a match, wich he struck and threw on the logs he always kept in there. Then he walked over to the coffee table, sneaking up on the photograph. He grabbed it by the burned, slowly crumbling corner and held it out, careful not to let the face of the photo see him as he walked it over to the fireplace.

The moment the photo made contact with the flames, Reid's ears filled with the sound of screaming. A sharp, high pitched, desperate wail that rang through Reid's ear canal, giving him an instant head ache.

"Aggh!" He cried, falling to his knees and then the floor, banging his shoulder as he covered his ears. He writhed their, listening to the pained screams crying desperatly for help. His throat began to hurt, and he realized he was screaming too. He felt the fear he'd been keeping prisoner in his stomach escape in a mad and wild prison break, all of it just escaping out his throat in a desperate scream to accompany the screams coming from the photo that was slowly burning to ash.

And then, as suddenely as it had started, it stopped. The room was deathly quiet. Reid got up, shaking like mad and breathing hard. The lights had gone out too. He was in instant darkness.

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! _His door screamed. He jumped up, switching a light on, which was weird he thought, how did they all get switched off?

His elderly neighbor, Mrs. Hammond, was on the other side. She was in a nightgown and slippers and she looked cross yet slightly worried. Like a worried grandmother Reid decided.

"Spencer dear," She said when she saw him, taking in his pale face and startled eyes, "What was all that racket for?"

"R-racket?" Reid asked shakily, trying to play innocent. When Mrs. Hammond raised a questioning eyebrow, Reid let realization play out on his face as he said, "Oh! I was watching a movie and fell asleep. I guess I rolled over on the remote 'cause when the woman screamed it woke me up. Sorry about that."

"It sounded like a man, like you!" she protested.

"It was an ugly girl." Reid shrugged, "It's a weird movie Mrs. Hammond, I just turned it off. Sorry about that."

Mrs. Hammond gave him a weary look before turning to leave. Then she walked quietly down the hall and into her apartment. Reid sighed in relief and closed his door, deadbolting the lock.

He turned to look at the fireplace, which had an explosion of black soot reaching up the tile of the hearth. The picture was no more.

Reid poked at the logs with the poker, trying to find anything left of it.

Finding nothing, he turned back to his coffee table, where everything had mysteriously fallen off the coffee table and spread out among the room. He spent a good ten minutes trying to find the medallions, then fished the doll out from under the couch. The packaging with the weird symbols drawn on it had turned a nasty red, looking more like dried blood than ink. Reid wondered for a moment if it really was dried blood. He walked through the whole kitchen and living areas, making sure he'd reclaimed everything. Then he remembered the photo album he'd thrown and ran back to the kitchen. He scooped it off the tile and was about to head back to the living room when he noticed the picture it had opened to upon landing.

It was a black and white picture of Reid. He was staring back at the real Reid, like he was in a mirror. Only it was a picture, so Reid could move with out being followed.

But the picture Reid looked horrified at what he was seeing. He was holding a camera up to himself, and staring fearfully into the lens. He looked like he'd gone days without sleep, and there was something dark on the corner of his forehead that the real Reid couldn't make out do to the lack of color.

Reid removed the photo from it's sleeve to get a better look at it, holding it up to the light even for no reason at all. He'd always seen people do it in movies, maybe there was somehting to be gained from doing it?

Nothing. Reid was simply staring at a strange photograph of himself he didn't even remember taking. Reid set the photo down, wondering what to do next about it. He didn't want to take it in to work, he didn't want to freak the team out. He didn't want anyone to see this picture. Under any circumstances.

Instead he simply picked the picture and the album up. When he grabbed the back of the photo, he felt something rub against his finger. He flipped it over to see something written in dried... something. Reid wasn't really sure.

But the message made his skin crawl.

_Family Will Be Together Forever_

Reid raced into the living room, threw the books from the shelf onto the floor, jammed his finger into the hole and wrenched the false back open, throwing it ontop of the books. Reid thew the album inside, the photo drifted harmlessly to the lip of the hideaway.

Then he ran over the books, tripped, fell, and got back up, grabbing the items on the coffee table as he went and threw them in, upsetting everything in there and breaking the bottle of dilaudid. Reid didn't notice, nor did he care as he remembered the medallions and threw them in as well, making clinking noises as they hit the back and fell over everything.

Then he jammed the false back on and only slowed down long enough to carefully nudge the small circular cutout into place then threw the books back onto the shelf higglde-pigglde, not bothering to make them look the least bit organized. Then he slowly backed out of the room and towards his bedroom, flipping on every light switch as he went.

He decided to sleep with the lights on that night, the door barricaded with a chair he'd dragged into the room and propped against it, waking every two hours to make sure he was still there. He threw all mirrors and items with a reflective surface into his closet and tied the handles closed with a belt. Every sound caused him to whimper.

Fortunantly, eventually he would be able to calm himself as the days passed, nothing happened, and he let the outside world take over. Sometimes he'd forget all together, until he noticed his still messed up shelf where hid... those things. Then he'd simply glide past it, trying hard not to think to much about it.

Eventually, the whole thing just seemed like a faded memory to him. Far from a pleasant one, but faded and out of the way none the less.

That isn't to say he never thought twice before volunteering for anything magic related, or when people tried to drag him to carnivals or circuses or magic shows, and you could forget asking him to look after your senile grandmother. He was very cautious around old, cranky women.

But it was a faded memory none the less.

* * *

><p>Ivona removed her hands from her temples and stood up, smiling at her customer. The old woman was crying tears of joy, wiping them away furiously with a handkerchief. She hugged Ivona and let herself be ushered out the door as she extracted the bills from her purse. Then she got in her car and drove away.<p>

The moment Ivona saw her turn the corner she dashed back inside, locking the door, shutting the blinds, and turning the open sign to closed. Then she quickly crossed the room to her chair and small table. She took the box that was underneath it and placed it ontop of the table, rooting through it looking for something.

She finally pulled it out: a long brown paper with bright red lines and designs painted on it. She placed her hands on it and exhaled slowly, a smile crawling across her face. She felt a cold, yet pleasing sensation run down her arms and up her spine, making her shudder as she began this odd ritual.

She started chanting random words that popped into her head, meanwhile the paper's designs began to squiggle and snake around the paper, creating odd runes on the paper. It left odd burn marks across Ivona's fingertips, but she didn't care. She forced herself to continue. She began to see images in her mind. A tall young man wearing coatails, then dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, crawling backward from something infront of him Ivona couldn't see. Then she saw him sink into the glass. The images were out of order, she knew, but they all had one recurring thing: a young man, tall, dark hair, and very vulnerable. She smiled, well, sneered really.

"He was a good puppet." She giggled. She felt something move in the back of her head, a thing growling, agreeing with her.

"You know, I thought you were downright evil at first." She said to herself, "But now I get it. I must say though, you are quite the negotiator." Ivona laughed. The thing in the back of her mind purred and she leaned back, removing her fingers from the paper. She raised a hand and inspected the burn marks, rubbing them with her palms.

"Afterall, your right." She smiled, feeling one of the blisters from the burns break and begin to bleed, blood running down her fingers, "Family should be together, forever."


End file.
